CHOCOWINITY — Charlie Woolard carefully polishes the already gleaming black fender of his 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 in hopes of catching the judges’ attention during Saturday’s Spring Heat Car and Truck Show.

The seventh annual event, a fundraiser for the Chocowinity Fire Department, was held on the campus of Chocowinity Middle School.

Woolard, a Beaufort County native now residing in Newport News, Va., was home for his first Spring Heat show. He was eager to show off his classic car, which he has previously entered in shows in Virginia and Georgia.

“My dad bought this car brand new and it’s been in the family ever since,” Woolard

said. “My mom saw an article about this show in the Washington Daily News so I decided to enter it.”

Woolard brought along a few keepsakes associated with the car, including the original window sticker once displayed when the Ford sat on a showroom floor and the stubs from the payment booklet.

“My two older sisters got to drive this car to high school, but I didn’t get to drive it back then,” Woolard recalled with a smile and a shake of his head. “I guess my dad thought I’d run it in the ground.”

The car survived, and it drew envious glances from onlookers during Saturday’s show. Some were surprised to learn Woolard makes full use of the car.

“I drive this all the time,” he said. “This is not a trailer queen.”

The idea for the Spring Heat show was conceived by Charlie Elks and his family and friends, who attended other such events hosted by volunteer fire departments.

“The Down East Rods and Classics Club helped us get the show off the ground,” said Elks, who serves as chairman of the event. “It gets bigger every year. One of our biggest was two years ago when we had 120 cars, but even with all the rain we had last year we had 70 cars come out.”

The show provides much needed revenue for the fire department, according to auxiliary president Regina Elks.

“We use the money to purchase new equipment, and this show is something we hope will bring people out in Chocowinity,” she said. “We want to make it a big community day.”

Partnering with the fire department Saturday was OBI Sheer Steel, a local company that sponsored live music by the 40 East Band. Haw Branch Church of Christ is also active with the event, hosting special activities for young children and families.