On Sunday May 14, from noon to 4 p.m., Heav’nly Donuts will host the popular Dust-Off Car Cruise and collection of non-perishable food items to benefit the Spooner House and Valley Food Bank in Shelton. Spooner House has the mission of providing food, shelter, and support services to people in need. The goal is to over-fill a classic Crosley Fire Truck with donated canned goods and other food items. The event was rained out twice in April and has been rescheduled for this weekend.
The Dust-Off Cruise will take place at Heav’nly Donuts, 653 New Haven Ave. in Derby, Conn. and this year is the 37th annual vintage car cruise. The goal is to collect 4,000 total donated food items. Last year the event was cancelled due to Covid, but in previous years the Crosley Fire Truck was filled with more than 3,850 collected items. This event also provides the perfect reason to bring out your classic car in preparation for the cruising season. The Derby Police will have a modern police cruiser on display at the event.
Heav’nly Donuts normally runs the classic cruises every Sunday afternoon from Mothers’ Day until late October. The Dust-Off Car Cruise kicks off a tradition started many years ago by the Derby Heav’nly Donuts. Cruisers and spectators who come to see all the great cars and motorcycles and who also bring canned goods and non-perishable food items, will be helping some of this year’s hardest hit people.
“It is more expensive than ever to live in Connecticut, and meeting general living expenses is more difficult since the pandemic and many more families were without one or both older adults holding paying jobs. In the past most families in need had low or limited income. Now, that group has expanded to middle income families as well. Our mission is to always help non-profit organizations such as Spooner House and the Valley Food Bank,” commented Ernie Badas, owner of Heav’nly Donuts. “All non-profits have lost substantial portions of their operating budget due to state cuts, which make it even harder than in the past for Spooner House to provide food, shelter and other support services for people who need assistance in the lower Naugatuck Valley.”
So please, dust off your rides, come get together with friends, see the vintage cars, listen to oldies music and give the Spooner House pantries a fill-up.
In case of inclement weather again, the next rain date for the Dust-Off Car Cruise to Benefit Spooner House will take place on Sunday, May 21. For more details and information call 203 – 734-4185.
