The Veterans Cruise came and went fast, but the pictures and videos tell the entire story. First and foremost I need to thank some people for making this entire day a reality. Without the sponsors of the cruise / show, none of it would have even been possible. Because of their generosity, determination to help us raise money for the Welcome Back Veterans Foundation, and of course their love for the Mustang, we were able to successfully host our first annual Veterans Cruise. The sponsors covered the expense to make the entire day possible.
Wildponies (aka Steve) owns and operates a family run Masonry business called Tom DiStefano and Sons Masonry. They specialize in the installation of masonry. You can be sure that any job, big or small, will have equal pride in getting the job done right! They primarily work off of referrals and aim to please every client. This is how they built the business over the years and have successfully earned many family and friends as loyal clients. Their work speaks for itself.
Glueyes (aka Nick) owns and operates DNK Roofing & Waterproofing. Nick is a hard working man that takes pride in everything he does (and it’s quite obvious in his cars too). He and his crew of workers can handle any task. They specialize in renovating, restoring, and replacing roof tops as well as waterproofing. If you need some work done, he is your man.
Euro Marmi Granite and Marble is the leader in fabrication and installation of natural stone for interior & exterior applications. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, they can proudly say they have made a science of fabricating marble & granite to fit your everyday needs. Their mission is to provide their customers with the highest quality of workmanship and stone while keeping their products affordable.
Syosset Ford is committed to making the customer happy. They have a reputation of having a great service department, as well as low priced vehicles. Their entire staff welcomes you to their dealership and will help you find everything that you are looking for.
I would also like to thank the following people for their donations toward the raffle. John Alfieri and The East Rochester All Star Band for the fine tools, Gerald Jones and ForMyRide.com for the Duragloss car care products, MGP for the caliper covers, and Ernesto (elr2141979) for the Mustang Cologne!
Aside from the sponsors, many people had a hand in making this event possible. In no particular order, I would like to thank Tim and Kim for taking charge of the Albany crew, organizing the 50/50 raffle, and for really stepping up and helping out. I would also like to say thanks to them and the Albany crew for the plaque and card, I appreciate it very much. Gregg (Wicked Xtreme) and his sister Dawn (Wicked's Sis) stepped up and maintained order and organization at the show, and really took the initiative to make sure we did everything properly. You guys were a big help and for that I’m very grateful. Steve (Wildponies) and Mike (needforspeed) took control of Long Island / Queens, organized meeting places, and really took charge. Despite waking up early and dealing with Long Island traffic, everything went smoothly. As I mentioned above, Steve’s company Steve DiStefano and Sons Masonry also sponsored the event and Mike was able to have the event shirts made and printed up for a great price as well. Thank you both very much! Don (Don-Nos) and his wife took charge of the Putnam and Dutchess crew, setup and ran their meeting place, and also helped out with the donations and shirts. Thank you both! Chris (SSChris NY.) helped organize the lower Westchester guys, and was also a big help with the actual cruise. He helped to maintain order. Thanks Chris! If there is anybody who I forgot to mention I am deeply sorry, I’m still winding down from the GREAT day we all had!
Once at the actual park, the turnout was above and beyond our expectations. Aside from the perfect weather, the parking lot and pavilion were great and really fulfilled our needs. Being that this was the first event, there are always things to learn and improve on for the next one. What really stands out in my mind was the judging and awards. It was way too hard to look at all of these Mustangs, judge them, and pick winners. Every single car there was taken care of, maintained, and unique and great in their own way. I think next time it’s only fair that everybody has a say in who wins which awards. We will cast votes and tally them up for the winners. Since the event will most likely get bigger and bigger each time, it also wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring some cones for parking. We can also improve the way we actually cruise to the park because a couple of times some people got split up. The overall consensus of the park itself was positive. Everything was just as described and perfect for what we needed it for. Next year we will bring a wiffle ball bat to take advantage of the field as well. If anybody else has any other suggestions, don’t hesitate to let me know.
The backbone of the event and the club is without a doubt all of the members. Because of our shared passion of the great American Mustang and our willingness to help our fellow Americans and brave soldiers, we were able to show our appreciation and contribute to a great cause. With all of that being said, I am extremely happy and honored to say that New York Mustangs raised and will be donating $2,000 to the Welcome Back Veterans Foundation. Because they match 50 cents to every dollar that we donate, New York Mustangs total contribution is $3,000! I think this speaks for itself and really shows our dedication and power of numbers. Thank you everybody for the donations and participation. Together we did a very great thing and had fun at the same time.
There are plenty of pictures and videos going around, and I’m sure there will be many more to come. I know there is a thread set up for pictures here: http://newyorkmustangs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6070 and a video thread here: http://newyorkmustangs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6077 . Feel free to add yours as well. The best way to do that is to upload them to Photobucket.com and post the pictures and videos that way.
Here are some pictures of the parking lot. We counted 82 Mustangs a few minutes after arriving.
Here is a partial group shot we took at the end of the day.
Wildponies (aka Steve) owns and operates a family run Masonry business called Tom DiStefano and Sons Masonry. They specialize in the installation of masonry. You can be sure that any job, big or small, will have equal pride in getting the job done right! They primarily work off of referrals and aim to please every client. This is how they built the business over the years and have successfully earned many family and friends as loyal clients. Their work speaks for itself.
To contact Tom DiStefano and Sons Masonry, you may call (631) 499-5349 or visit DiStefanoMasonry.com You may also contact Steve by sending a PM to ‘Wildponies’
To contact DNK Roofing, please call 718-326-9311 or send Nick a PM to ‘Glueyes’
To contact Euro Marmi, you may call (516) 338-6700 or visit EuroMarmi.biz
Syosset Ford is committed to making the customer happy. They have a reputation of having a great service department, as well as low priced vehicles. Their entire staff welcomes you to their dealership and will help you find everything that you are looking for.
Mustang Magic was established in 1990 and is New York’s largest and most experienced late model Mustang High Performance Shop. Their on-site Dynojet Chassis Dynamometer plus their expert tuning experience has propelled some of the fastest Mustangs on the east coast! They have the best prices and service in town, and all New York Mustang members get 5% off labor just for being a member!
MustangMagic.com - (631) 254-3430 or ‘Magic Maker’ on the forum
I would also like to thank the following people for their donations toward the raffle. John Alfieri and The East Rochester All Star Band for the fine tools, Gerald Jones and ForMyRide.com for the Duragloss car care products, MGP for the caliper covers, and Ernesto (elr2141979) for the Mustang Cologne!
Aside from the sponsors, many people had a hand in making this event possible. In no particular order, I would like to thank Tim and Kim for taking charge of the Albany crew, organizing the 50/50 raffle, and for really stepping up and helping out. I would also like to say thanks to them and the Albany crew for the plaque and card, I appreciate it very much. Gregg (Wicked Xtreme) and his sister Dawn (Wicked's Sis) stepped up and maintained order and organization at the show, and really took the initiative to make sure we did everything properly. You guys were a big help and for that I’m very grateful. Steve (Wildponies) and Mike (needforspeed) took control of Long Island / Queens, organized meeting places, and really took charge. Despite waking up early and dealing with Long Island traffic, everything went smoothly. As I mentioned above, Steve’s company Steve DiStefano and Sons Masonry also sponsored the event and Mike was able to have the event shirts made and printed up for a great price as well. Thank you both very much! Don (Don-Nos) and his wife took charge of the Putnam and Dutchess crew, setup and ran their meeting place, and also helped out with the donations and shirts. Thank you both! Chris (SSChris NY.) helped organize the lower Westchester guys, and was also a big help with the actual cruise. He helped to maintain order. Thanks Chris! If there is anybody who I forgot to mention I am deeply sorry, I’m still winding down from the GREAT day we all had!
Once at the actual park, the turnout was above and beyond our expectations. Aside from the perfect weather, the parking lot and pavilion were great and really fulfilled our needs. Being that this was the first event, there are always things to learn and improve on for the next one. What really stands out in my mind was the judging and awards. It was way too hard to look at all of these Mustangs, judge them, and pick winners. Every single car there was taken care of, maintained, and unique and great in their own way. I think next time it’s only fair that everybody has a say in who wins which awards. We will cast votes and tally them up for the winners. Since the event will most likely get bigger and bigger each time, it also wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring some cones for parking. We can also improve the way we actually cruise to the park because a couple of times some people got split up. The overall consensus of the park itself was positive. Everything was just as described and perfect for what we needed it for. Next year we will bring a wiffle ball bat to take advantage of the field as well. If anybody else has any other suggestions, don’t hesitate to let me know.
The backbone of the event and the club is without a doubt all of the members. Because of our shared passion of the great American Mustang and our willingness to help our fellow Americans and brave soldiers, we were able to show our appreciation and contribute to a great cause. With all of that being said, I am extremely happy and honored to say that New York Mustangs raised and will be donating $2,000 to the Welcome Back Veterans Foundation. Because they match 50 cents to every dollar that we donate, New York Mustangs total contribution is $3,000! I think this speaks for itself and really shows our dedication and power of numbers. Thank you everybody for the donations and participation. Together we did a very great thing and had fun at the same time.
There are plenty of pictures and videos going around, and I’m sure there will be many more to come. I know there is a thread set up for pictures here: http://newyorkmustangs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6070 and a video thread here: http://newyorkmustangs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6077 . Feel free to add yours as well. The best way to do that is to upload them to Photobucket.com and post the pictures and videos that way.
Here are some pictures of the parking lot. We counted 82 Mustangs a few minutes after arriving.
Here is a partial group shot we took at the end of the day.
All and all I don’t think we could have asked for a better day. Everything went smoothly and we raised a lot of money for the foundation. Thanks again for everybody who participated and made the event happen and successful. I look forward to next year’s Veterans Cruise, and just because it’s an annual event doesn’t mean we can’t have more cruises and events!
I'm glad that everybody made it to the event and back home safely, and I look forward to seeing everybody again soon.
-Mike
I'm glad that everybody made it to the event and back home safely, and I look forward to seeing everybody again soon.
-Mike
Kudos to all who worked to make the cruise possible. 
I'm sure that's the same thing your wife says Jared, except for the Mike part.
