Rolling for The Rock

Toby Fernandez, Ron “Rondo” Fernandez and their daughter Amber Ellman, of The Rock, attended a nonprofit celebration at the Reilly Arts Center in Ocala on Sept. 20, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

Rolling for The Rock

Car show and vendor fair on May 16 will support program that helps area students.

By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

People can check out some cool collectible and military vehicles and enjoy a vendor fair at the upcoming Rolling for The Rock Program car show in Ocala. 

The fun family day will benefit The Rock program, an outreach with volunteer staffed rooms in middle and high schools in Marion and Citrus counties where food, clothing, shoes, school supplies, hygiene supplies and even prom outfits are kept for students in need. The materials are meant to give the students tools to help build a rock-solid foundation to succeed. 

The car show will feature a kid’s zone, music, plant sale, food trucks and more than 15 car award categories, from “coolest paint” to “coolest vibe” and people’s choice. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 16 at The Arc of Marion campus at 2800 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala.

Douglas Suzukovich, president of the Florida Military Vehicle Heritage Group, said the organization plans to display vehicles at the show, likely including several Jeeps and Humvees. 

Show admission is free but a donation of food, clothing or school supplies for The Rock is welcomed.

The Rock program was established about 10 years ago by local restaurateur Ron “Rondo” Fernandez and his wife, Toby. It is aimed at helping students be “engaged, stable and confident” according to its website.

“In 2025, the Rock program served 15,749 students by providing essential items, including 4,630 clothing items, 394 pairs of shoes, 3,065 food items, 7,729 hygiene products and 29,573 school supplies, removing barriers that impact learning,” the site states. 

The program helped about 300 students at seven schools with items needed for prom outfits, according to Executive Director Troy Weaver.

Weaver indicated there is a general flexible limit of two items per category per student.

“In some special cases they may take more. Teachers, counselors and nurses assist in qualifying the students but in reality we will serve any student,” Weaver wrote via email.

Weaver said one student running track at an area school was able to get needed running shoes through the Rock.

Rock rooms are in all Marion County middle and high schools except Vanguard High, which currently gets visits from the Rolling Rock van.

Marion County School Board member Lori Conrad supports the program and is a volunteer in the Rock room at Forest High School.

The room is the same room where a shooting occurred in 2018. The incident injured a 17-year-old student and a 19-year-old was arrested in connection with the shooting after school resource officer Deputy Jimmy Long rushed to the sound of gunfire, according to a CNN report.

Conrad noted that all donations are welcome and none are too small, such as a jar of peanut butter or a box of granola bars.

For those interested in participating in the car show, pre-registration is $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the event. Registration will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on show day.
Vendor spaces are $40. To sign up, email Weaver at [email protected]. 

For information about The Rock program and ways to help, go to therockprogram.org