Hey everybody, I just got back from covering the SEMA show in Vegas. For those of you who love anything to do with cars, you really should check it out sometime! It takes up the entire Las Vegas Convention center (including the parking lot). There are live autocross races, test drives, etc outside, and everything under the sun automotive inside.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with what I do, you may not know what I meant when I said “covering” the show. I host an automotive webcast called Hi-Tech Toolbox ™. We concentrate on everything new, and well, Hi-Tech, in the automotive repair world. If you are interested check us out here. Most of the video on this playlist was shot at SEMA 2010 (There’s also one we shot with Mike himself). We will have the 2011 stuff up there late December, early January 2012.

Anyway, I’m not writing about the show, I’m writing about the unbelievable people I met there this year. All trades people with amazing stories. One of my friends who is a custom Mustang builder (R&A Motorsports) is doing a car for the American Cancer Society and the donations are rolling in. The car is a `67 fastback. Everything to build the car has been donated including the labor, body, engine, transmission, suspension, and everything in between. It’s called the “Mystical Build”. Check it out online. Another gentleman I met is also doing a Mustang which is a joint venture with Ford and raising money for the ALS Association. This was started after a well known member of a race crew came down with this dreaded disease.

The third and last story I wanted to share with you is about an organization called Operation Comfort. This organization assists wounded soldiers in returning to society after suffering serious combat and wartime injuries. The part of this program I was most interested in was the “Automotivation” program. In this program wounded veterans, some of them amputees, are learning automotive repair including autobody, refinishing, and mechanical. I met some of these fine young men at the show, and I have to say, I couldn’t be more proud to be around them. All of them true American Heros, no matter what your opinion of the war is. Their program is located in San Antonio Texas and they need help keeping this program going.

Please look for my interviews with all these great men and women who illustrate the type of people we have working in the trades!

RAM
Bob Medved

Read more and comment on the thread – HERE
Check out the mrW Water Cooler forums – HERE