Club turns love of cars into community service

The Shark Tooth Sports Car Club is a group of men and women who meet once a month in the Community Room of the Venice Police Department.

They enjoy cruises and trips to museums, and they participate as drivers for car auctions.

Each member is invited to be an active participant in planning a monthly activity. They have club shirts. Their monthly dinner meetings are meant for having fun and making new friends. Each member draws a number to determine seating arrangements. Someone is in charge of making arrangements for the place.

The Benevolent Fund Committee is dedicated to community outreach with membership input They support a community organization with a $500 contribution each month and an annual scholarship to a Venice High student wanting to pursue a career in the automotive field.

This year, the recipient was Devin Anderson, who likes everything about engines and cars. He said, “When I got into the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to study Mechanical Engineering with a concentration on Motorsport Engineering, I felt like I was selected in the NFL draft.”

Target Masters, a Venice-based gun club of retired law enforcement officers, presented Isabella Rodriguez with a scholarship. Isabella plans to study Criminology at the University of South Florida.

“I want to do my work in the background of investigations,” Isabella said.

She was inspired watching Venice Police officers working at Venice High and beyond.

Members receive discounts from sponsors Sage Auto Studio, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Sutherlin Nissan. Annual membership is $100, plus a $50 donation to the Benevolent Fund.

Their brochure says, “The most important part of membership is to stay open to meeting new people and enjoy the experience.”

The Club invites other passionate car enthusiasts to join them. Write to P.O. Box 1230, Venice, FL 34284. Visit their website at Shark-ToothSportsCarClub.com

SOME OF OUR BEST

The special people of this week are the members of the Shark Tooth Sports Car Club. Their 27 members prove a small group can do great things.

They are welcoming and friendly. Newcomers immediately feel accepted. Getting new members to commit to involvement in the group is a sure way to insure success and growth.

Members have found a way to turn their common love of sports cars into a meaningful way to have a happy life and enrich the community.

Members of the Shark Tooth Sports Car Club make Venice a great place to live.

Fran Valencic is the social columnist for the Venice Gondolier. She welcomes your tips and ideas. Contact her at franvalencic@comcast.net.

Officers of the Sharks Tooth Sports Car Club in Venice are, from left, Ken Maher, president; Dave Love, vice president; Tom Rossi, treasurer; and Ed Cashman, secretary.

GONDOLIER PHOTOS BY FRAN VALENCIC

Isabella Rodriguez receives a scholarship from the Target Masters. They are a gun club of retired law enforcement officers who award a scholarship to a student planning to major in Criminal Justice. Pictured are, from left, Lou Divito, Isabella Rodriguez, Fred Kreidler, Paul Drimmer, Frank Hinnenberg and Richie Fortino.

Bobbe and Dave Lytle enjoy their membership with the Sharks Tooth Sports Car Club. Bobbe is the club’s media person.

From left, Devin Anderson receives a scholarship from Ron Wencil, June DiLella and Linda Wencil of the Benevolent Committee of the Sharks Tooth Sports Car Club.

FRAN VALENCIC