Organizers and supporters of a grassroots mentorship program at Newtown High School that matches students from third to eighth grade with a high school mentor for one-to-one support, encouragement, and friendship, drew hundreds of cool cruisers, terrific trucks, and crazy custom vehicles to its second annual car show at Fairfield Hills earlier this month.Learn more about the organization at reachnewtown.org. The organization is presenting its next fundraiser this weekend at Castle Hill Farm on Sugar Lane. REACHtoberfest will offer four hours of unlimited food and beverage tastings including wine and craft beer, and food trucks, as well as a bonfire, silent auction and raffles, music and more. Tickets for the Saturday, October 1, event are $80 in advance or $85 at the gate. The event will be outdoors, under a large tent. Visit REACH Newtown's website for additional information and reservations. 

Participants for the most part presented spectacularly clean and meticulously maintained vehicles dating back to the 1920s and before, all the way up through the hot rod and muscle car eras, to modern-day motoring marvels packed with state-of-the-art electronic gadgets and power plants.

There were also plenty of what may have been considered average sedans, pickups, coups, and station wagons in their day - which nonetheless drew appreciative nods and excited comments as they were approached at the show by appreciative folks whose parents or grandparents may have owned similar models.

A DJ kept the vintage '50s and '60s music pumping, while promoting supporting organizations including Connecticut Seaport Car Club, The Round Town Cruisers Car Club, and the Port 5 Navel Veterans of Bridgeport.

And since the event took place on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, organizers had also arranged a brief but patriotic ceremony including local officials, as well as members of the military past and present, representatives of Newtown Police Department and Hook & Ladder Fire Company, and Selectman Herb Rosenthal who delivered a few remarks to help honor those who served both the country and the community.

Besides the mentoring initiative, proceeds from the car show also support the REACH Ascension program serving at-risk children by removing obstacles and putting them on a trajectory for success; a Tutoring Academy providing homework and study support, as well as healthy snacks, for students; and REACH expeditions that deliver invaluable, off-site opportunities to help empower students to make a difference in their lives, schools, and communities through acts of inquiry, discovery, and experience.