Street Survivors of Maryland

Club Members,

Street Survivors and Friends,

First and foremost, a HUGE and heartfelt thank-you to Wayne Gerst for his incredible hospitality and for opening his home to the club for our picnic. What a great turnout! There was plenty of laughter, great conversation, and, of course, amazing food catered by Witt’s BBQ. Let’s just say the food was a hit—our club members made sure there was very little left to take home! In fact, the only thing that survived was a little dessert. Even a brief visit from Mother Nature couldn’t keep this crew from coming together and having a great time. Thank you, Wayne, for making it such a memorable day.

🎃 TRUNK OR TREAT IS HERE! It’s time to bring out the kiddos, decorate those vehicles, and have some fun! Bring the kids and dress up your vehicle for our Trunk or Treat. The kids will have a great time going from vehicle to vehicle collecting treats, and yes—we will have prizes for the best-dressed and scariest vehicles! And if we have enough little trick-or-treaters, we may even have a parade so everyone can show off those amazing costumes.As always, it’s going to be a great time with our Street Survivors family and friends. The lot opens at 5:00 PM, Fri. October. 23.

MOTHER NATURE, WE HAVE A REQUEST…Mother Nature, if you happen to be listening—or reading this—we surrender! You win this season! All we ask in return is one beautiful day for our Veterans Day Car Show on November 8th. Not simply because we want to have a car show. We want that one beautiful day because our veterans and the organizations supporting them deserve everything we are working to raise. Our friends travel from near and far to support this event and to honor the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country and our freedom. The very least we can do is come together for one day and try to return a small fraction of the gratitude we owe them.So, everyone, please keep those prayers, good thoughts, and fingers crossed for beautiful weather on November 8th!

VETERANS DAY CAR SHOW — NOVEMBER 8TH Diane has ordered the shirts, and I can tell you now—they are AMAZING! We also have some exciting new vendors joining us this year, including vendors who will be able to create custom pieces for you right on the spot. And if you like the chance to win some money and prizes instantly—WHAT?!—bring plenty of dollar bills! You’ll have an opportunity to try your luck while supporting a great cause. Of course, there will also be plenty of food selections to keep everyone fueled throughout the day. One important reminder for those who want to park together as a group: please arrive together. If your group is waiting for additional vehicles, please pull over to the Burger King or Giant parking lot until everyone has arrived. To accommodate everyone as efficiently as possible, we will be filling parking spaces in a continuous line. Please do not ask the parking attendants to save a spot for a friend. Instead, ask them what you can donate, contribute, or do to help make the day a success.

❤ A MESSAGE TO OUR MEMBERS, SUPPORTERS, AND FRIENDS As we begin nearing the end of another season, I want to take a moment to say something that is very important to me. Thank You

I am incredibly grateful for every member of the Street Survivors of Maryland Car Club. Not everyone is able to be out there hustling every Friday night, and that’s okay. Everyone contributes something, somehow, throughout the season—and it is noticed and appreciated. The same goes for all of our supporters who join us every Friday for lot nights, those who come whenever they can, our sponsors and vendors, the other car clubs who join us, spectators, family members, and friends. We are able to continue doing what we do because of all of you. Yes, we love this hobby. We love our cars and trucks. We love the friendships, the cruises, the shows, the laughs, and everything that comes with being part of this community. But at the end of the day, we gather for something bigger than the cars. We raise money and awareness for the organizations and people who need our support—our veterans, our local communities, children, individuals with disabilities, and so many others. That is what makes this club special.

🥨 CAN TAB CHALLENGE — AND WHAT A SURPRISE! I want to close with a story about the collection of aluminum can tabs we started this season. Throughout the season, we have placed a plastic pretzel jar at our Friday night lot gatherings and asked everyone to save their aluminum can tabs. I have been impressed with how quickly that collection has grown. Then Erin had an idea. When we went to Cruisin’ Ocean City, we decided to put a bucket at the Convention Center with a sign and see just how many tabs we could collect. When we returned Saturday to pick it up, we figured we might have collected enough to fill maybe a quarter of the bucket. Boy, were we wrong! The bucket was overflowing—and there was another bucket full sitting right beside it! What happened next made the whole thing even more special. The personnel working at Cruisin’ Ocean City were so committed to helping that they didn’t just wait for people to bring tabs to us. While they were out working, they went bar to bar collecting tabs from people and bringing them back to our collection. They even asked if they could work with us again next season to see just how many we can collect. Well… let the competition begin! I think we may have just created a new Street Survivors challenge!

🎄 CHRISTMAS SHOW & AUCTION — DECEMBER 13, 2026 And finally, if you are cleaning out the house, attic, basement, shed, or garage, please remember that we are still accepting donations for our Christmas Show & Auction on December 13, 2026. The proceeds from this event will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, helping support research, education, care, and those families affected by this devastating disease.
Here are six important facts from the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 report:
• An estimated 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s in 2026. Seventy-four percent are
age 75 or older.
• About 1 in 9 people age 65 and older (11%) has Alzheimer’s.
• Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.
• Older Black Americans are approximately twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older White
Americans.
• Older Hispanic Americans are approximately one and one-half times as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias
as older White Americans.
• Alzheimer’s can also affect people under age 65. Researchers estimate that approximately 200,000 Americans have
younger-onset dementia. Source: Alzheimer’s Association
• 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures
Alzheimer’s Association — Facts & Figures

If you have items you would like to donate for the auction, please consider helping us turn something you no longer need into something that can make a difference for someone else.

As always, stay safe, enjoy the fall, and keep cruising!

Click here for this year’s Street Survivors Events

“Built or bought who cares? Keep Crusin’. Keep the dream alive” – Mike Pilkerton
Mike Pilkerton
President, SSoMD
443-829-9290
Pilks.Enterprises@yahoo.com