Tesla Model X Wins Classic Car Show Benefiting Children In Need

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Along the banks of the Red River in Alexandria, LA, there sits a mighty Red Dragon, soaking up the hot Louisiana sun as she glows luminously, a beacon of the future that beckons car lovers all across America to experience something new, fresh, and inspiring. The Red Dragon eventually made her way down south to Beaumont, Texas, to shine brightly in a car show that benefitted young boys in need.

The aptly named Red Dragon is a Tesla Model X and is the pride and joy of New Orleans native Karen Rudisill, who lives in Beaumont, TX. It was the winner of the Beaumont Classic Southeast Texas Car Show.

Beaumont’s classic car community held the show to benefit a local charity that helps boys in need. Boy’s Haven has been around since 1945 and is a nonprofit organization that provides housing for boys. It has a total of three dorms, two of which are in use.

It aims to provide stability for boys who have been taken from their families due to neglect or abuse. This includes a school routine, after-school and homework time, dinner, etc. — some of what a normal family would provide for its children.

The State of Texas provides 60% of the funding needed to support these children, ages 6–17. Boy’s Haven also has sponsors who host fundraisers to help make up the other 40%. One of those sponsors is Classic Southeast Texas, which held the car show that the Red Dragon won this year.

It provided the manpower to set up the car show, which included removing cars from the lot, placing them somewhere until the event was over, and then returning them back to the lot. Classic Southeast Texas also donated $5,000 upfront.

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Many may not realize what a big deal this is, but for a business to remove the items in its showroom to sponsor an event that helps kids in need is a pretty huge deal.

Kevin Bohm, a member of the Board of Directors of Boys Haven, said, “There wouldn’t have been a show without Classic Southeast Texas.”

According to Kevin Bohm, “Through sponsorships and donations, we are right at the $15,000 level. Our goal was to raise $10,000, so we exceeded our goal by 50%.”

100% of all the proceeds will go to benefit the boys.

Kevin also mentioned that Karen’s Tesla was actually chosen as the winner via voting.

Classic car shows usually show off Corvettes, Jaguars, and other well-known cars that are older and in pristine condition. The majority of the car owners are often men who have owned their cars for a very long time.

Karen tells me that her husband gets a chuckle out of the reactions of the older men at the shows. She is five feet two, and the Red Dragon is her car. Her husband often tells the folks with questions, “Ask her, it’s her car”.

She tells me that she loves showing the older men her Tesla and loves listening to their stories of how they bought their first Ford T and other stories. She then shows them her Atari games and how to operate the Model X. She also points out the difference between falcon-wing and gull-wing doors.

I asked Karen, “Do you have any tips or advice for any Tesla owners who would like to enter their car into a show?”

Karen replied: “The Tesla needs to be experienced. Let me show you how it works. Not everyone gets to see a Tesla at shows, so expect people to want to get into your car,”

She also mentions that even though at most shows owners of their cars do not want their cars touched, Tesla owners should expect people to fully experience their car simply because it is a Tesla. Teslas are new and need to be fully experienced. Show them how a Tesla works in comparison to a gas vehicle.

“Also, know your vehicles and history. Know the stats. Tesla sold over 92,000 cars in their second quarter of 2019!” she says excitedly.

I agree with Karen — once you fully experience a Tesla, you will see why Tesla is such a popular car, and you will also probably get excited by such stats.

This is another great example of Tesla owners out there doing good things with not only their cars, but by simply being and doing good.  Tesla is just a part of the story — a huge part that inspires many people to do great things for our community and our world around us.