Tribute trip ends

West Side Nut Club Trio logs 2,250 miles on Route 66

Courtesy of the Evansville Courier and Press

It didn't take long for Evansville Police Department officer Randy Rolley and friends Bryan Zeller and Ron Boren to see the value of their 2,250-mile Route 66 journey last month to pay tribute to officers killed on duty. 

On one evening, two days into the trip they dubbed Relay for a Cause Route 66, they were able to provide reassurance to a family of a fallen Illinois police officer struggling to come to grips with the loss.

Rolley spent three years planning the relay. The idea was to involve officers in each community they stopped so that they would feel part of it. Boren escorted Rolley and Zeller part of the way on each leg of the relay, accompanied by officer escorts from each of the communities. 

"We wanted it to be a relay of officers. That's what kept it going," Rolley said.

Classics line Franklin for annual cruise-in

West Side Nut Club sponsors 8th annual event

Courtesy of the Evansville Courier and Press

EVANSVILLE — John Dycus considers himself a "car guy."

"My wife and I grew up in the era of (cruise-ins)," he said. "There was a circuit that was traveled here when I was in high school. What they did was traveled from Parkway ... to a place called Austin's Drive-In that was on old (U.S.) 41. It went all around the city."

This year, Dycus got the opportunity to be the chairman for the eighth annual West Side Nut Club Cruise-In, held on West Franklin Street between St. Joseph and Wabash avenues on Saturday. The event, a fundraiser for the scholarships the club gives to students at the University of Southern Indiana, had more than 500 cars.

The 8th annual West Side Nut Club Cruise-In takes place in June.  This years event takes place on West Franklin Street from 3:00 PM to 9:30 PM on Saturday June 12th, 2010.  St Joe Ave. to Wabash Ave. will be closed off for cruise-in participants.  All makes and models are welcome (cars, trucks, & bikes). We especially would like to see more car clubs bring in their groups. There will also be door prizes and a half pot drawing (8:00 PM). Registration is from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  The first 200 registrants will receive dash plaques.  Trophies will be presented for people's choice for best Ford, best GM, best Chrysler, best special interest, best truck, best bike and the chairman will present a trophy for his favorite. 

Registration is free.  However, donations to the West Side Nut Club Scholarship Fund are welcome.

Please patronize the Franklin Street businesses for your food and drinks for the evening!  Rain date is Sunday June 13, from 2-6pm.  Not responsible for accidents, damages or loss of property.  No burn outs.

If you would like to print off a flier to hang in your business or as a reminder please click on the link below.:

2010 Cruise-In Flier

Postponed a week the 2010 Spring Project started at 7:00 AM on Saturday May 8th at Howell Park.  Roughly 50 Nut Clubbers pitched in to beautify Howell Park’s par 3 and miniature golf courses.  Project chairman Bob Reed said that they were able to put a new roof on the rear section of the main building and patched a couple sections of the front portion, painted the entire building, replace the old signs with new ones, painted all of the curbing on the miniature golf course, rebuilt the wishing well, and put a new roof on a miniature fire house , added 192 feet of fence back on the Soccer field to prevent cars from getting on the field , and replaced two backstops on two of the holes with vinyl fencing, and tore out the old lattice fence that was there.

The West Side Nut Club gave $165,600 to local non-profit groups at the Nut Club's annual Founder's Day held Tuesday May 4, 2010 at Burdette Park's Discovery Lodge.  Despite some of the worst weather seen in recent years during the October Fall Festival (the West Side Nut Club's largest fund raiser) the Nut Club was able to pinch it's own pennies to help make sure that some of the recipients of the donations didn't have to. "(the weather) did make a major impact but the guys cut budgets and lowered all kinds of expenses this year to make sure this night is possible and at the level it is and I just want to thanks the membership for all it's done" said West Side Nut Club President Dan Lewis.

2010 Founder's Day Chairman Mike Lear started the meeting off by welcoming the guest to the dinner and then turned the microphone over to the Reverend Gene Backes who gave the invocation.  After the meal it was time to get down to what the Nut Club is all about and that is giving back to the community.

As the donations were handed out the highlight of the night came from Easter Seals representative Zach Harris who said "On behalf of the Easter Seals I want to thank you very much.  It feels good to be in front of all my west side friends.  This donation goes along way in helping so many people with disabilities and other types of injuries, not only kids but adults as well.  This donation will help Easter Seals give everybody a better chance at life.  Without you guys this wouldn't be possible."

The West Side Nut Club is proud to announce the 2010 winners of West Side Nut Club Foundation Scholarship.  The winner from Mater Dei High School is Hope Seibert and from Reitz High School Kayla Coursey.

Hope Seibert (left) was and is involved in many activities at Mater Dei and the community.  She has been a cheerleader, Peers Project, prom committee, pep club, gymnastics teacher and a coach at MEGA gymnastics, recycling, zoo teen at Mesker Park Zoo, Race for the Cure, volunteer at St. Mary's Hospital, Bible School teacher at Resurrection, and Eucharist Minister for Mater Dei and Resurrection.  Hope is the daughter of John and Lana Seibert.

Kayla Coursey (right) participated in many school and community functions while attending Reitz High School.  She was a girls soccer coach, camp counselor, back to school program, Bible School Assistant, Mesker Park Zoo Family Day volunteer, Homeless Youth Coalition member, Reitz volleyball JV captain, Food Bank volunteer, helped with the youth group egg hunt, and many more activities.  Kayla is the daughter of Gary and Pamela Coursey.

Each year, applications are accepted for the West Side Nut Club Foundation Scholarship.  Applications are submitted to the University of Southern Indiana for selection.  One student each from F.J. Reitz High School and Mater Dei High School are awarded a $8,000 scholarship to USI.

If you would like to submit an application for the 2011 West Side Nut Club Foundation Scholarship and are a senior at either Mater Dei High School or Reitz High School and will be attending The University of Southern Indiana, please see your school's counselor January 2011. Recipients must have a G.P.A. of 2.5 - 3.3 and have demonstrated involvement in community service.