Will Don Skinner win his 4th Best of Show in a row ?
From the Allegany County Ancient Order of Hibernians, pictured is Skinner in 2023 with his winner
All roads lead to Wellsville’s Island Park for the 9th Annual Allegany County Ancient Order of Hibernians’ Car Show in Wellsville’s Island Park. This years show does not have any pre-registration and the park entry will be open at 10 am to participant cars, trucks and motorcycles with registration costing $10 per vehicle. Spectators can come into the park for free and Event Co-Chair Matthew Cannon has 6 local food trucks including The Dog Doctors, Scotty’s Common Table, Holycakes (She Brews) and the Wellsville General Store & Grill lined up to serve hungry and thirsty car show participants and spectators throughout the day in the Park.
This years Car Show will have 35 trophies awarded starting at 2:30 pm and Don Skinner of Belmont is the reigning 3-Peat Best of Show Champion the past 3 years! Don has also amazingly won each AOH Best in Show Trophy sponsored by Bokman of Wellsville with a different car or truck! Will Don bring a new classic to the show this year? To find out, stop over to Island Park and see many other amazing vintage and classic cars and trucks that will challenge Don Skinner this year! The Car Show will run from 10 am to 3 pm with Trophy Awards starting at 2:30 pm. As the show revs up late morning and early afternoon there will again be the Loudest exhaust Contest measured by 10-15 decibel meter measurements of each contestant. The Ancient Order of Hibernians will also have a 50/50 raffle which will have the winner drawn right before the awards ceremony where AOH President Patrick Dougherty will present the winning trophies!.
The always popular Engine Blow Up contest is again sponsored by Rich leitzell at Leitzell’s repair shop and he will be getting a “donor” car modified to see at what time the engine, which has been drained of oil, blows up or seizes. Sometimes it happens quickly and other times it has been a longer wait.
Event Co-Organizer Brian Cannon “credits the tremendous local business sponsorship support for the annual AOH Car Show and our ability to award 35 great trophies. Mark Bokman and his Bokman of Wellsville Chevrolet and GMC Truck Dealership have been our flagship sponsor from the start and they will have several New Vehicles on display including Electric Vehicles. They are joined by many great local businesses that support our AOH Fundraising event including Jeff Ryan at the Ryan Insurance Agencies and Mike Miller and his ALCO Federal Credit Union Team who also have major trophies sponsored this year.” Cannon also names “Walker Metalsmiths and CTC Signs of Andover as well as Kevin Daley at TryIt Distributing in Olean, The Texas Hot, Shane Vogel and Pizza King, Joe and Bonnie Collins at Collins Automotive, Hutter & Finn Law Firm, Embser Funeral Home, Wellsville Brewing, Kris Roberts at Roberts Electric, Perks Automotive, L’italia, Angelica Spring, Community Bank and Root Water Well Specialists. We also have Nick Davis at Genesee Valley Media sponsoring 2 trophies this year and he has had some amazing Drone video footage from past car shows as well as the AOH Shortest St Patricks Day parades in Wellsville and the annual Irish Road Bowling tournaments in Andover, NY.” The Bailey facility will again be on hand to judge and award the annual “Roger Gee Trophy” which is again proudly sponsored by Tim and Sue Colligan & family in honor of local Wellsville car legend, mechanic and Custom Express Car Club member Roger Gee.
Last year’s AOH Car Show started with calm weather which turned into a heavy monsoon downpour for our region and Island Park. The past few years car shows have attracted 230-245 cars and trucks participating and last years rains still had over 120 vehicles entered in the show. Both Matthew and Brian Cannon expect to see a great turnout on September 7th no matter what the weather ends up being as late summer in Wellsville’s Island Park is the place to be if you love cars, music, crafts and/or great local food!
The Annual AOH Car Show is one of 2 major fundraisers that the Allegany County Ancient order of Hibernians have to raise funds for local charities. The local AOH Division has donated generously through the years to local charities and organizations including the Hart Comfort House of Allegany County, The Joyce Family Food Pantry and outreach Center, The Salvation Army, Wellsville Little League, Fillmore Food Pantry, Cuba, NY Food Pantry and the Independence Historical Society. In addition the Division has helped numerous individuals and families in need going through medical treatment. The Allegany County Ancient order of Hibernians has also awarded three $500 scholarships the past 2 years to local seniors going on to college. The 2024 Allegany County AOH Scholarship winner was Cooper Brockway of Wellsville, NY who is attending Saint John Fisher College.
The local Ancient order of Hibernians guarantees car show participants and spectators alike will have a great time and day in the park no matter what the weather on September 7th! Come down to the Island Park and see who challenges Don Skinner this year for Best in Show! For further information email the Allegany County AOH at aoh.div1@yahoo.com or visit the Allegany County NY AOH Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WellsvilleAOH
