Car Show, Chili Cookoff to Honor 96-Year-Old Boca Helping Hands Volunteer

A classic Jaguar E-Type. (Credit: Steven Tyler PJs/ Flickr/ Creative Commons)

Start your engines! There will be plenty of heat in Boca Raton come January, coming in the form of cool cars and spicy chili for a worthy cause.

Boca Helping Hands will be the beneficiary of “Motors & Missions,” a charity car show and chili cookoff hosted by the Rotary Club of Boca Raton, on Sunday, Jan. 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will be held at Boca Helping Hands, 1500 N.W. 1st Court, Boca Raton. The show will honor 96-year-old Art Polacheck, a devoted BHH volunteer since 2013 and member of the Rotary Club of Boca Raton. The event will also be held in memory of Spencer Siegel.

Polacheck, a Boca Raton resident, has volunteered regularly for the past 15 years at Boca Helping Hands, making cupcakes and sandwiches and filling bags with groceries. He has also recruited his friends at the Rotary Club of Boca Raton to volunteer at the organization by helping distribute groceries to underserved families each month. Polacheck is also a classic car enthusiast dating back to the 1940’s, and recently held a classic car show featuring 75 vehicles to benefit the organization, raising over $10,000. Polacheck previously owned a classic car museum in Fort Lauderdale.

The top 25 cars will receive awards, and the event will feature music, food trucks, and a 50/50 raffle. The event is free for attendees (though guests are asked to consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food) and $40 (tax-deductible) for general car registration. For premium car registration, registration is $75 and includes premium placement and lunch.

To register a car, visit https://www.bocahelpinghands.org/carshow.

Originally from the Chicago suburbs, after serving in WWII, Polachek moved to South Florida and graduated from the University of Miami on the GI Bill. He returned to Chicago because his family was there, but in 1980, moved back to South Florida and launched a highly successful medical supplies business in Deerfield Beach, serving more than 12,000 customers. He has worked with local nonprofits for many years.

“People don’t realize that there are so many people in need right here in the Boca Raton area,” said Polacheck. “Boca Helping Hands steps in to help in so many ways – from feeding the hungry, to job training to helping a family financially who had their electricity turned off. I’m so proud to volunteer here, and it’s equally as rewarding to me to contribute funds toward their job training program,” he said. “It’s incredible to be able to teach people a new skill they can form a career around.”

Boca Helping Hands is a community-based nonprofit that provides food, medical, and financial assistance to help individuals and families improve their quality of life and build financial stability. Through its various programs, BHH assists nearly 35,000 people annually.