Indian Wells, CA
Q: “What has 3,400 tires, more colors than the PPG color chart, and is now 10 years old?”
A: “The 2012 Dr. George Show”
An overview – can you find your car?
The 10th Annual Dr. George Memorial Car Show, called just the Dr. George Show, was held on February 11, 2012 in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, CA. Indian Wells is slightly east of Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley and Mother Nature made it known why the Coachella Valley is a premier destination for hot rods and snow birds alike – a cloudless blue sky with temps in the low-80’s. If you want to see how the above overview was created, watch:
This year over 850 hot rods, customs, classics, motorcycles and rat rods were on display at the Dr. George Show. A few are shown below.
To see the photos above and more than 85 other photos of the show and the trophy winners click on the SmugMug link (the green face) to the right or at the top of this page. (All photos, including the photos of the cars above can be purchased through SmugMug. Go to SmugMug and click on Dr. George Show Cars 2012. If you want to see photos of the award winners, go to SmugMug and click on Dr. George Show Trophy Winners 2012.)
The show, which takes place on the grass of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, started at 9:00 am with a pancake breakfast and ended at 3:00 pm with the awards ceremony. The judges had a tough time this year selecting the 42 cars which received trophies. Just looking at all the cars could easily fill the day, but there were plenty of other things to do. 70+ vendors were set up on the grass selling everything from Kettle Corn to Hot Rods. You could buy raffle tickets and win some great goodies, or buy 50/50 raffle tickets and win some $$$ and you could participate in a silent auction. As in past years, this show drew some notable individuals including legendary car builder Sam Foose, Goodguys founder Gary Meadors, performance car innovator Dick Guldstrand, and the former director of the Petersen Automotive Museum, Dick Messer. And of course it goes without saying that you’ll see old friends and make new friends at the Dr. George Show. The Palm Springs Cruisin’ Assoc. (PSCA) knows how to put on a show. This show is a day of fun from the time you drive into the Tennis Garden until you drive out after the trophies are given. The show is well organized and things went off without a hitch. The Dr. George Show has evolved into one of the “must-go-to” shows in Southern California.
This beautiful 1951 Chevy Woody owned by Bob Hill was the Best of Show
The 1951 Chevy Woody shown above is owned by Bob Hill took home the Best of Show trophy. The selection was made by a committee made up of Sam Foose, Gary Meadors, Dick Guldstrand and Dick Messer. Having these guys pick your car as the best in this field of outstanding cars is a tribute to the quality of the car.
The Dr. Show George Show is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sebastian George, who was a nationally prominent and locally beloved oncologist and co-founder of the Desert Cancer Foundation. In June 2002 Dr. George was killed in a traffic accident while trying to help a motorist with car trouble. The idea for the Dr. George Show grew from one PSCA member’s gratitude to the doctor for helping her beat cancer. The first Dr. George Show was held in 2003 and drew an astounding 400+ cars. The attendance has only gone up since then. In addition to the 850+ cars, the 2012 show attracted about 10,000 spectators.
42 trophies were presented
The net proceeds from this event go to benefit the Desert Cancer Foundation. Last year the Desert Cancer Foundation received $65,000 as a result of the Dr. George Show. The Desert Cancer Foundation serves cancer patients throughout the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas. The Foundation works with the support of local healthcare providers who provide services to the Foundation’s clients at a reduced rate. So far the Dr. George Show has contributed $383,000 to the Foundation. Consequently, proceeds from the Dr. George Show have provided the equivalent of over $2 million in medical services to those in need.
To learn more about the Desert Cancer Foundation, and to support its mission, go to www.desertcancerfoundation.org.
A check for $1,000 was presented by the LA Roadsters to Ross McMullin, President of PSCA as a donation to the Desert Cancer Foundation
Put the Dr. George Show on your list for next year – it’s a great way to relax in the sunshine while the DJ fills the air with tunes from the past. Watch this website and www.palmspringscruisinassociation.com for the dates.
We’d like to thank Ross McMullin and Steve Eisen, PSCA members, for providing us with information for this article; and, we’d like to thank Battalion Chief Bill Hunley and Fireman Greg Roberts of the Riverside County Fire Department for making it possible to bring you the overview photos. Greg climbed to the top of a 100 foot ladder with our camera – thanks Greg – you took great photos.
All the photos in this article plus a lot more can be seen, and purchased, on SmugMug. Click on the little green face in the right-hand side bar or at the top of the page to get to SmugMug. The copyright to all photos and content belong to the authors and may be used only with permission.
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