Signs of Summer

Days are getting longer, nights are getting warmer, roses are blooming, and the Thunder on the Mountain Car Show Committee is getting ready for the big fundraiser car show that will take place during the Mountain Festival weekend in August. All proceeds go to scholarships, charities and local community groups and, thanks to the outstanding support from the people of Tehachapi, the amount donated last year was $22,000.

For the last ten years, Thunder on the Mountain has included the Optimal Hospice Foundation as one of its charities. Hospice care seeks to make a terminally ill patient’s remaining time with us as meaningful and comfortable as possible. Care can be given in the home so that the family can stay close to the patient. Hospice care includes nursing and medication as well as help with some household tasks and emotional support.

If you’ve ever had hospice service help a family member on his or her final journey you know how much the compassion and guidance of the nurses, aides and volunteers can help ease the pain and fear of the end-of-life experience. The Foundation provides hospice services to families who don’t have insurance and can’t afford the out-of-pocket cost.

Optimal Hospice Foundation also has a Kids Camp for children who have lost a parent or close family member. It is an overnight camp that lets young people know that it is ok to have fun and act like a kid but also teaches them to express and cope with their grief. The kids have a chance to bond with others going through the same experience and don’t feel so alone. The camp is open to the public whether or not they have used the hospice services. There is no charge to the families and kids which is why contributions from groups like Thunder on the Mountain are so important.

The Thunder on the Mountain Car Show Committee raises money from car show registration fees, the sale of raffle tickets and tee shirts, and trophy sponsorships. Raffle tickets go on sale Memorial Day Weekend outside of Albertson’s and are available throughout the summer until the big drawing on the day of the car show, Sunday August 21 in downtown Tehachapi. Prizes include a 48” Samsung TV, a $500 Albertson’s gift certificate, a set of cordless power tools, a barbeque, and a $500 cash prize. You need not be present to win.

When you buy a raffle ticket or tee-shirt from a Thunder on the Mountain volunteer you are helping charities like Optimal Hospice Foundation. In addition to Optimal Hospice, Thunder on the Mountain donated to the Thunder on the Mountain Scholarship Fund, Tehachapi SENIOR CENTER, the local Salvation Army, Shop with a Cop, Honor Flight, Tehachapi Humane Society, VFW, Wounded Hero Fund, and the ehachapi Community Theater.

For more information or to download a registration form to enter a car in the show visit http://thunderonthemountain.net/