Showing off for charity

Marion County Tax Collector George Albright, right, and Rick Schmidt of National Parts Depot, look over a 1911 White Touring antique car at the National Parts Depot in Ocala on Feb. 4. The car will be featured at Albright’s 15th-annual Tax Collector’s Charity Car Show on Feb. 22 at the McPherson Governmental Complex. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

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Posted February 10, 2025 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

The 15th annual Tax Collector’s Charity Car Show, which benefits local outreaches, will include at least 200 cars from the early 1900s to muscle cars of the 1960s, ‘70s and more. Several antique boats are also expected to be on display. The event is organized by Marion County Tax Collector George Albright, who is a car enthusiast and will display a 1952 Nash Country Club.

This year’s show will include a tribute to James Melton, an operatic singer and radio personality from the 1920s through the 1950s who was an avid car collector with a collection originally in Connecticut and later displayed in a museum type setting in Hypoluxo, Florida, known as the Autorama.

Melton lived in Citra as a youth and later in Ocala, where he attended high school. A plaque recently was placed on the Walk of Fame in front of the Marion Theatre in downtown Ocala and pays tribute to his distinguished career. Melton passed away in 1961 at the age of 57. He is buried in Ocala.

The plan is to have a dedicated “James Melton Class” at the show, containing pre-war classics just as Melton collected back in the day, said Rick Schmidt, vice president and COO of the National Parts Depot, or NPD, in an email encouraging local car groups to participate.

Schmidt plans to enter a 1911 White Touring “Brass-era car.” It was acquired by his father, Jim Schmidt, the founder of the NPD, around 2000 at the Amelia Concours d’Elegance on Amelia Island. The White Touring is a five-passenger, four-cylinder gas engine car that is part of the NPD vehicle collection, which has been amassed by the Schmidt family over the last 35 years and features more than 200 mostly very low mileage “survivor cars.”

The Ocala/Kingdom of the Sun Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America will have members and cars at the show, according to Frank Stafford, president of the chapter. Jacob Wieklein, with the Tax Collector’s Office, added that the AACA chapter plans to display Ford Model T and A cars and other pre-war classics in the tribute to Melton.

Albright said Rick Schmidt and NPD have been a backbone for the charity show for its 15-year run.

“Rick is really committed to helping the community and outreaches, for example, Interfaith Emergency Services,” Albright said.
“The show is good for car hobbyists, and it is for a good cause,” Schmidt said.

Louann DeSantis, charities coordinator for Albright’s office, discussed the recipient outreaches in an email.

“From the proceeds of the show, we support safe places for women and children suffering from abuse and we help provide food for children who might not have any means to get food for themselves over the weekend,” she wrote.

DeSantis said the office’s charity program has been a “huge partner” with the Marion County Board of County Commissioners’ Bring the Harvest Home outreach and has donated turkeys at Thanksgiving and hams at Christmas to Interfaith, and also supports Michelle-O-Gram, Stop Children’s Cancer and Wreaths across America.

“We are advocates for children and have been able to put a washer and dryer in one of our Marion County Schools to help with that need,” DeSantis wrote.

Karla Greeway, CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services, stated that donations from the Tax Collector’s Charity “help keep us going.”

“The support from the Tax Collector’s office goes into our general account that pays for the cost of keeping our doors open to assist people in need. The cost of doing business for a charity is no different than any other business and without this support no one would receive services,” Greenway said via text.

The event, which will include food and craft vendors, a bounce house and plants for sale, will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 22 at the McPherson governmental complex at 503 SE 25th Ave., Ocala. Admission is free.

To enter a vehicle, contact Jacob Wicklein at (352) 368-8206 or email [email protected].