With the holidays in sight and the end of yet another year quickly approaching, the members of Seven Mile Ridez, Inc. would like to show our gratitude for those that help us by highlighting some of the organization’s happenings from this past year.
2016 SMR Events:
3On3 Slam Jam Basketball Tournament (June 4th) @ Tornado Park in Valparaiso, Ne
Bohemian Beach Party featuring The Back Forty (July 8th) Downtown Prague, Ne
Beer Barrel Days Bed Races (August 12th) Downtown Prague, Ne
6th Annual Mitchell Ostry Memorial Show N Shine (August 14th) Downtown Prague, Ne
In May of this year, the 2016 Mitchell Ostry Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Jeremiah Johnson of Yutan High School. Jeremiah is currently pursuing to study Automotive at Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska.
As a recent graduate, Jeremiah is looking forward to the opportunity to broaden his knowledge in automotive mechanics to become able to fix anything and everything automotive related by hand. Jeremiah’s experience in working with his family’s cars as well as on vehicles during automotive classes has provided him with the motivation to continue towards a career in the industry.
Jeremiah’s future goals in the automotive industry consist of owning and operating a successful business that is known for his custom builds.
“Cars have come so far and I’m sure they will go even further.” – Jeremiah J.
Like Jeremiah, our passion for the industry extends into the off season as many of our members actively participate in other area car shows, pickup truck pulling competitions, and weekend cruises. Just some of the events this year that we enjoyed being a part of include car shows from Kearney to Omaha and everywhere in between.
Among these, one highlight of the summer for us was our debut as part of the Nebraska Rod & Custom Association’s Tour Nebraska. As first timers for NRCA’s annual road tour, we can collectively agree that the event was an unforgettable experience as we got to cruise the back roads of Nebraska with 350+ classic rides while networking with other fellow enthusiasts along the way.
From sights of beautiful rural Nebraska and astonishing museum collections to unexpected break downs, the tour was an adventure from start to finish. It is an experience that we hope you can, if you haven’t already, be a part of in the near future.
Another summer event that is always an adventure for us happens to be one of our own.
The 2016 Bohemian Beach Party was held this past July 8th in conjunction with Pink Bandana’s Beat Breast Cancer Mud Volleyball Tournament. The weekend was another exciting and successful one for each organization, the town of Prague, and the families of the recipients in need. This year’s proceeds from the Bohemian Beach Party were put towards our latest endeavor, the Jacob Smaus Memorial Scholarship, which is set to release January 2017.
As many may know, Jake Smaus passed away in July of 2015 due to an unfortunate accident. As one of our original members, Jake was a huge part of our organization as well as the entire community.
The purpose of the J.S.M.S is to provide financial assistance to currently enrolled college students who are actively involved in local area charity work, non-profit organizational support, or giving back to their communities via volunteer-basis contributions. These traits were some of which Jake Smaus displayed everyday throughout his short but accomplished life. Jake’s uplifting character is honored through this scholarship with hopes of inspiring those whose actions impact others in need.
For updates on scholarship information be sure to follow us on our Facebook page (keyword: Seven Mile Ridez) and check back at our website; www.sevenmileridez.com.
Another initiative for our group this year was to help out with providing financial assistance for both the Valparaiso Tornado Park as well as the Prague Village Park. In early June this year, our co-founder and Valparaiso native, Gideon Gillispie worked alongside local supporters, Ben and James Potter to host the park’s first basketball tournament in order to raise funds to put towards a much needed renovation. With help from one gracious donor, the event raised enough to complete the task. We look forward to making this an annual event in hopes of maintaining the park for a number of local Valparaiso children and residents can enjoy for years to come.
As for the Prague Village Park which hasn’t seen updates since the 1970’s, is also in dire need of renovation. With help from additional proceeds from our Bohemian Beach Bash this past July, we are proud to support the Prague Improvement and Management Project (P.I.M.P.) with $1,500 to put towards the new park in early 2017.
Special thank you to those who came out and helped the 6th Annual Mitchell Ostry Memorial Show N Shine set a new record this past August! 220+ participants gathered downtown Prague, Ne for a day full of activities and entertainment to enjoy in conjunction with Beer Barrel Days.
Supporting the Cause
Not only does SMR host the annual auto show, but we also strive to sponsor other events throughout the year that help fund causes within the communities of our members. Proceeds from all Seven Mile Ridez sponsored events are put towards our annual scholarships, event infrastructure, and community betterment by supporting causes and local families in need. All members of Seven Mile Ridez, Inc, are volunteers and do not accept compensation for our efforts to make every event unique and successful. We take pride in giving back, which is why we greatly appreciate those who support and attend our events so we can continue to do so!
Our Mission: To educate and encourage youth participation in the automotive industry as well as charitable involvement by supporting community initiatives of the local and surrounding areas of our members.
