Cars to Credits
The drive and passion of the Highway Creepers Car Club is being felt by Central Community College’s auto body students. The Highway Creepers Car Club held their annual “Rock N Rods Car Show” this past April with proceeds benefiting the Tony Turner Memorial Scholarship at Central Community College.
Beating last year’s gift, over $12,000 from the car show was raised to support the Tony Turner Memorial Scholarship for auto body students at CCC. This endowed scholarship was established due to a love of cars, to honor a friend, and a desire to see the industry grow. “This donation is going to give scholarships to students for years to come,” said Mike Hoskins, CCC auto body instructor.
The money was raised at the Highway Creepers’ annual car show, which included around 250 cars, a pinstripe panel jam, an auction, and a gnarly line-up of bands. Attendees at the event were sure to find something that interested them from entrees that ranged from big to small, shiny to rusty, and two wheels to six wheels. This car show is organized and promoted by a group of talented individuals who have come together to have some fun, show off amazing artwork, mainly in the form of their cars, and support a great cause.
“He was always mentoring and never hesitated to help anybody,” said Ashley Turner, Tony’s widow. “These funds will go to worthy, dedicated students who are struggling financially to follow their dreams.” A third-generation family-owned business; Turner Body Shop has had multiple CCC student interns and alumni employees throughout the years. Tony Turner was the owner of Turner Body Shop, located in Kearney and Holdrege, until his untimely death in 2019.
The Tony Turner Memorial Scholarship was established in 2021 to acknowledge Tony’s love for helping others. The addition of the latest donation will increase the endowment to $20,000 and expand the scholarship to two student recipients in 2022-2023. “Through this event many individuals are able to honor Tony Turner and encourage the future of the industry. We’re excited to see this fund expand and the impact on auto body students that it will have over the years,” said Jessica Rohan, CCC Foundation development director.
Imagine leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come – endowments allow one to support a program of interest or honor a loved one, just as the friends and family of Tony Turner have done, in perpetuity. Endowments are meaningful tools one can establish to provide a perpetual source of funding for programs or scholarships at CCC.
You may be wondering, how does an endowment work? An endowment fund is one where a donation is placed in an investment, not expensed immediately. Each year, the CCC Foundation utilizes a portion of the income earned on the fund to support scholarships, programming, and support, while the remainder is added to the principal to create on-going growth. Through this method, all donations to such a fund become a perpetual gift to the organization and support your passion/honor a loved one for a lifetime.