Many of you have probably read the "Tailgating" article of mine recently in TW, about Tom Elliott and his massive emporium of NOS Stude parts. Tom and I attended the Cedar Rapids meet together, and I've visited him in his home several times this summer.
Tom retired from Delta Airlines last year, after 34 years of hard work and dedication. Like the early Studebaker slogan, Tom "Always gave more than he promised."
Tom got his very first Studebaker in 1971 when he was a teenager. The car was a '51 Champion Starlight Coupe. Nearly 40 years later, he still has that car. (He and I got it running and drove it around earlier this week. The first time he had driven it in over a decade.) Ever since he bought that car, he's been purchasing new parts to give "Starla" a concourse style restoration. He had planned to do this restoration after retirement.
However, Tom has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. If you're not familiar with this, basically, the neurons that enable Tom to control his muscles, are dying. He has been the athletic type since he was a kid, and now after 40 years of being a track star, he has lost his ability to run, and has trouble walking at all. It's tough to imagine his devastation.
Tom's wife Maureen, and step-daughter, Jessica, are leading up a team for the Walk to Defeat ALS on November 14, 2009 in Atlanta. The team is known as "Tom's Scooterbakers". Here is the link to their webpage. Support and any donations will be greatly appreciated. http://tinyurl.com/nwgwow
I know that the SDC and this Forum are both full of loving, caring people that would be willing to help out with this. We're all one big Stude-loving family. As I've often said, the cars are the reason we join the SDC. But it's the people that make us continue to pay our dues. Tom is the perfect example of why I am so involved in this club. I'm sure many of you know him, and know what I'm talking about.
Tom is the least-deserving person in the world to have had this happen to. Let's all work to find a cure. He's been waiting nearly 40 years to restore that '51, let's give him that chance.
The ScooterBaker.
Tom driving his first car, a '51 Starlight coupe.
Tom retired from Delta Airlines last year, after 34 years of hard work and dedication. Like the early Studebaker slogan, Tom "Always gave more than he promised."
Tom got his very first Studebaker in 1971 when he was a teenager. The car was a '51 Champion Starlight Coupe. Nearly 40 years later, he still has that car. (He and I got it running and drove it around earlier this week. The first time he had driven it in over a decade.) Ever since he bought that car, he's been purchasing new parts to give "Starla" a concourse style restoration. He had planned to do this restoration after retirement.
However, Tom has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. If you're not familiar with this, basically, the neurons that enable Tom to control his muscles, are dying. He has been the athletic type since he was a kid, and now after 40 years of being a track star, he has lost his ability to run, and has trouble walking at all. It's tough to imagine his devastation.
Tom's wife Maureen, and step-daughter, Jessica, are leading up a team for the Walk to Defeat ALS on November 14, 2009 in Atlanta. The team is known as "Tom's Scooterbakers". Here is the link to their webpage. Support and any donations will be greatly appreciated. http://tinyurl.com/nwgwow
I know that the SDC and this Forum are both full of loving, caring people that would be willing to help out with this. We're all one big Stude-loving family. As I've often said, the cars are the reason we join the SDC. But it's the people that make us continue to pay our dues. Tom is the perfect example of why I am so involved in this club. I'm sure many of you know him, and know what I'm talking about.
Tom is the least-deserving person in the world to have had this happen to. Let's all work to find a cure. He's been waiting nearly 40 years to restore that '51, let's give him that chance.
The ScooterBaker.
Tom driving his first car, a '51 Starlight coupe.
Comment