By Stephanie Loder
The Egg Harbor Township High School Air Force JROTC cadets are marching toward their financial independence with a planned Oct. 27 car show fundraiser.
The car show is a first-time event for the high school JROTC, a 501(c)(3) organization.
It is open to the public, all car makes and models, and kicks off in the high school bus parking lot from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with trophies being awarded at 1 p.m.
The car show is open to any type of vehicle and will be held rain or shine. The entry fee is $10.
Drivers who want to compete for a trophy must be parked by 8:30 a.m. and should use the main school bus lot at the main entrance of the high school.
Spectators can park in the athletic field parking lot and food vendors will be available.
The car show is also a way to spread the word about the JROTC unit, and to help educate people about the program, said spokesperson JROTC Cadet Colonel Amie-Lynn King, 17, a high school senior.
By the end of the year, the 65-member JROTC group wants to raise $10,000 for their booster club account, and $5,000 in a separate school account, King said.
“By next year we want to be able to stand on our own two feet without needing to do a million separate fundraisers,” King said.
The high school JROTC cadets are guided by Senior Aerospace Science Instructor (SASI) Major Jaine Del Rio (Ret.) and Aerospace Science Instructor (ASI) Senior Master Sergeant. Joseph Valentine (Ret.)
The Air Force provides some funding.
However, finances can add up to operate the high school JROTC program.
It costs the group $175 each time they use a township school bus for a trip, King said.
The trips, she said, are beneficial to cadets learning more about the area where they live.
“We take these kids on trips. A lot of them haven’t seen Philadelphia or the Liberty Bell,” she said.
JROTC is for the high school level and provides scholarship money for cadets going to college.
In college, students can join the ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) which is a leadership training and development program for students that prepares full-time, college-enrolled students for service opportunities in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force.
“It’s a family,” said King, who plans a career in American Sign Language interpretation. “I don’t think I could trade it for anything and I am not sure how I am going to leave this family behind when I graduate.”
Cadets plan visits to the 177th Air National Guard Fighter Wing in Egg Harbor Township and the 108th Wing of the Air National Guard at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. They want to take a trip to Kalahari Indoor Waterpark and Ski Resort in the Poconos as their senior trip.
“We run solely off of fundraising,” King said. “We need money to keep our organization going and provide community service. We go places and have hands-on experiences that help our unit thrive.”
JROTC planned a Spirit Night from 5 – 8 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Chick-fil-A at English Creek Avenue and Black Horse Pike in Cardiff and a car wash from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 at the Cardiff Volunteer Fire Station 2 on English Creek Avenue at Atlas Avenue.
Tickets for the car wash cost $10. Anyone can stop and get their car washed and pay the donation on the day of the event.
To purchase a ticket for the car wash, contact the JROTC by messaging them on their Facebook page, “Egg Harbor Township High School Air Force JROTC Nj-20222,” or by calling the ROTC office at the high school at 609-653-0100 ext. 2695 or ext. 2654.
Stephanie is a freelance writer with 40 years experience covering NJ news for The Asbury Park Press, The Courier Post, The Catholic Star Herald and The Press of AC. Email her at stephanieloder59@hotmail.com
