Troup County Sheriff’s Office hosts annual car show for local youth home

Published 6:15 pm Monday, September 23, 2019

The Troup County Sheriff’s Office responded to a different type of call over the weekend, one to help the local sheriff’s youth home.  

Pyne Road Park filled with vintage cars on Saturday as the Troup County Sheriff’s Office hosted the 10th annual Sheriff’s Car Show to support Pineland, a residential care program that helps youth boys who have been abandoned, neglected and abused.

“Every year it gets bigger and bigger, but what we are doing out here is just trying to raise money to support the boys at Pineland,” said Sheriff James Woodruff. “A lot of people think Pineland is a youth detention center, but it’s not. It is just a big foster home for youth boys who cannot live at home.”

Pineland provides everything as far as a place to live, clothes, food, toiletries and more.  

“Our goal is to reunite them with their families,” Woodruff said. “But while they are there, we have to take care of them.” 

Woodruff said every year they make a different, unique purchase from the money raised at the car show. 

“One year, we bought a used car so the boys who can drive and have part-time jobs have a way to get back and forth to work,” Woodruff said. “Last year, we used the proceeds to stock our lake so the boys and other kids could go out there and fish in the lake.” 

This year, the proceeds will go toward changing all the mattresses in the cabins. 

“We do something with it that is real beneficial to the camp,” Woodruff said. “We appreciate the people that participate, and we appreciate the sponsors.” 

More than 100 vintage cars were entered into the car show. Woodruff said this year was the best turnout they have ever had. 

“Typically, we raise anywhere between $11,000 to $15,000,” Woodruff said. “I have to pick the best car, the truck and the best motorcycle. As you can see, out of all these participants that is a going to be a very difficult job to select one car out of this sea of participants.”