Texas Discount Automotive holds car show for a cause

By PAMELA GRANT
Cove Leader-Press

$12,767.89. 
That’s the total amount of unpaid breakfast and lunch bills incurred by Copperas Cove Independent School District students for the current 2017-2018 school year. 
One local business gathered vehicle enthusiasts together on Saturday for the opportunity to raise funds to help pay off some of those unpaid meals. 
Dozens of vehicles of all shapes, sizes, and models lined the Copperas Cove Junior High parking lot, each owner hoping that their vehicle would earn the title of Best in Show.
Texas Discount Automotive held its 2nd annual Texas Discount Automotive Car Show, with many hoping to win the big prize of $500 and the title of Best in Show. Other categories were Best Import, Best Bike, Best Mopar, Best Ford, and Best GM. Registration for the event was $15 and began at 9 a.m. and went until 1 p.m. with awards handed out at 1:30 p.m. 
100 percent of the event’s proceeds—a total of $1000—was donated at the end of the event to the “CCISD Angel Fund.” 
Bruce Hansen, owner of Texas Discount Automotive, admitted that donating all of the proceeds means that Saturday’s event costs him money rather than earning him money, but he believes that it is well worth it. 
“Car shows bring the community together,” said Hansen. “Everybody needs a car to get back and forth to work. Cars are part of American history. Cars bring people together. We just wanted to do something that nobody else does.”
Hansen ran the event with the help of his wife. Texas Discount Automotive is a family owned business, and Hansen said it’s important to give back to the community. The repair shop offers discounts to military, first responders, teachers, and more.
Roland Bounds entered the Import category with his Afro Samurai themed 2016 Nissan Maxima Platinum. Bounds has put a lot of work into his vehicle including custom paint and tire decals as well as work on the headlights, airbags, wheels, and more.
“It’s a passion,” said Bounds. “For this car, I tried to go with an import look. I went with an animated series. It’s fun…There’s so many things you can do with that category. I just love customizing my car.”
Bounds said his favorite part about entering car shows is meeting all the people with the same interest and hobby as he has.
Tommy Fleming won the title of Best in Show and Best GM with his 1962 Impala. Fleming’s wife is pregnant, and they also have a young son. Fleming said that much of the $500 winnings will go towards purchasing diapers for his children. He was excited to have won the competition and said working on modifying and enhancing vehicles is something that he’s always been into. He said he’d like to thank his family and friends for his success.
“It’s been my dream car,” said Fleming. “I built it for myself, but also for my wedding day. That was my grand opening for this car.”
The $1,000 raised will help take care of some of the unpaid, unreimburseable meals for CCISD students. 
Wendy Sledd, the director of communications for CCISD, said the district provides meals at the elementary and junior high levels whether the child has money or not, but the district has to find a way somehow to cover those unpaid, non-reimbursable meal expenses. 
Melissa Bryan, the district’s director of Child Nutrition, said the district has made huge strides in making sure that each child that comes through the meal serving line has the opportunity to receive the meal that is being served for that day in the cafeteria. 
Bryan said the district keeps parents informed of meal policies in different ways such as posting on the district’s web page, printing the policies in the CCISD Student Handbook and this year, Bryan said the district made sure that its policies in regards to alternate meals and charging are printed on the back of each monthly menu sent home to students. 
Lynette Sowell contributed to this article.