WPS has been part of TWCC since it's inception in 2001, and has helped raise and donate over $100,000 to local non-profit organizations in Montgomery County. Thank you to all of our customers and enthusiasts who have generously donated and participated in these events over the years, and who continue to support our mission in "Using Our Cars to Give Back to the Community".

The Woodlands Car Club: Auto enthusiasts come together for community

Over the past 15 years, The Woodlands Car Club has raised more than $100,000 for local nonprofit organizations by participating in and hosting charity-driven events.

The Woodlands Car Club was formed in 2001 by a local group of auto enthusiasts including Dana Pritchard, co-owner of The Woodlands Performance & Suspension.

“Our motto is, ‘Using our cars to give back to the community,’ so everything The Woodlands Car Club does ties into a local nonprofit organization,” Pritchard said.

The main way the club achieves its goal is through the Cars & Coffee for a Cause monthly event, which is a partnership between the car club and Market Street’s Change for Charity initiative. Through the program, Market Street collects the change from 68 voluntary curbside parking meters on Market Street at the end of each quarter and chooses four Montgomery County nonprofit organizations to support with those collections throughout the year.

On the first Sunday of each month, the car club puts on a display at Market Street and invites representatives from the chosen nonprofit to hand out information and speak to spectators about their organization. The car club collects the money donated during the shows and, at the end of each quarter, Market Street and the car club present two checks to the nonprofit.

“Market Street is proud to host such a civic-minded group,” Market Street Marketing Director Noemi Gonzalez said. “Their donations have helped to make a difference in the lives of many here in Montgomery County.”

In 2015, the club donated a total of $2,000 to four nonprofits: the Humane Society of Montgomery County, Community Partners of Montgomery County, Conroe ISD Education Foundation and the Tamina Community Center.

Since 2008, Cars & Coffee for a Cause has raised more than $10,000 for nonprofit organizations. The next Cars & Coffee for a Cause will take place from 8-11 a.m. Sept. 4 and will benefit Bikers Against Child Abuse.

The club also helps raise money by displaying cars at local events, such as the Bombshell Car Exhibit on Aug. 20. Southern Star Brewing Company in Conroe will host the event, which will benefit Montgomery County Youth Services.

“It’s very important to contribute back to the community that we live in any way that we possibly can,” Pritchard said. “If you have a little, give a little. It’s important for us to do that. Using our cars to give back to the community is just a win-win for everybody.”

The Woodlands Car Club & Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers in Spring Support Cassidy Joined for Hope Foundation - Suicide Awareness and Prevention

The Woodlands Car Club teamed up w/Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers in Spring to raise awareness and funds for Cassidy Joined for Hope Foundation - Teen Suicide Prevention & Awareness.

"Thank you so much for thinking of our charity and including Cassidy Joined for Hope in your donations and support. This is such an important topic that has affected so any lives in our own community and needs to be addressed and talked about so that no other family has to lose a child to suicide. Thank you for helping us spread the awareness." Kim Hess, Founder

☆A big THANK YOU to WPS customer Eric Nitcher, Judy LaField Jackson and Phil Jackson, Blair Franklin for bringing your awesome cars out, Chadd from Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers, Cory from O'Reilly Automotive, Shawna Wilkins from 86 Today Show, students from College Park High School, and Kim Hess and family from Cassidy Joined for Hope Foundation. It was a nice morning to get together in support of raising awareness and suicide prevention. We appreciate you taking time out of your day to support this very important cause - our young people in our community, they are our future! ~Dana :)

All revved up: The Woodlands Car Club blends its love of classic vehicles with local charity efforts

See full article and photos.

Before the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning, the cars start rolling into Market Street. 1968 Camaro. 2002 Corvette Z06. 2010 Jeep Wrangler. 2015 Mustang GT.

The car enthusiasts arrive early to get a good spot to show off their babies as more than 100 vehicles park around the shopping center for the monthly Cars and Coffee for a Cause event put on by The Woodlands Car Club.

The hobbyists gather in groups to swap car stories, fathers bond with their children over the inner workings of an engine and senior citizens take a walk down memory lane, admiring the classics.

"It's intimate, friendly, personable," Dana Pritchard, the event coordinator, describes the event that brings the community together to share its love of special cars while giving back. "You never know what you're going to see," she added.

Since the event is geared toward raising money for local charities and providing a venue for community car lovers to share their obsessions, there are no specifications or requirements for what vehicles can participate. "We don't discriminate," she said.

Pritchard's one request is that those who participate make a donation of any size to Market Street's Change for Charity program. Year-round, the change collected from the voluntary parking meters that line the shopping center's streets is donated to a local non-profit organization selected by Market Street. This year, the four charities, each receiving proceeds from a quarter of the year, are the Lone Star Animal Welfare League, the United States Veterans Initiative, Bikers Against Child Abuse and The Will Herndon Fund for Juvenile Batten Disease Research. Each quarter, The Woodlands Car Club writes a check to the designated Change for Charity organization, passing on the offerings from the community's car enthusiasts.

"My main goal is to educate (attendees) on non-profits that need help," Pritchard said. She describes the car show as an opportunity for the average person - who may not be able to afford to attend a charity gala or golf tournament - to make a difference.

"We're using our cars to give back ... it makes people happy to see these vehicles," Pritchard said. "It's a win-win." Since the event's conception in 2008, it's raised upward of $10,000 for more than two dozen Montgomery County charities.

Passion for cars

A New York native who retains a hint of an accent in spite of more than 20 years in Texas, Pritchard has been in the business of specialty cars for 13 years. As a self-described tomboy growing up around her dad's Corvette infatuation, she sees her career path as a natural step. In 2003, with only two nickels to rub together, she says, Pritchard teamed up with her business partner, Sean Rizk, to open The Woodlands Performance and Suspension. Now, the garage, which is guarded by a spunky shop dog, a Yorkie named Hazelnut, is crowded with a mix of classics and new cars alike to be maintained or customized.

Over the years, even as high-end vehicle dealers have moved into the area, their success has been built on care for the customer and the community, Pritchard says.

Anniversary mark

And even before opening the business, Pritchard was one of the first members of The Woodlands Car Club, which celebrates its 15 year anniversary this month. The club started as just a handful of car lovers organizing a couple of shows a year. Pritchard led the way in establishing the Cars and Coffee for a Cause event, wanting to make giving back a staple in the club's purpose. In addition to the monthly event, the club serves as a resource for business, groups and individuals who are looking for special cars to display or use for an event, such as a wedding or grand opening. Even for these club activities, Pritchard encourages that there be some kind of charitable component.

In its 15 years of existence, The Woodlands Car Club has donated over $100,000 to organizations in the county.

"(Those who donate) don't realize the good they're doing," Pritchard said. "There's no better feeling."

The Woodlands Car Club Cars & Coffee for a Cause donates to 2 local non-profits

TWCC was able to present checks in the amount of $1,000 from TWCC Cars & Coffee for a Cause monthly charity car event donations. $500 went to Tamina Community Center, and $500 to Lone Star Animal League, in addition to Market Street's donation check from coins collected in the parking meters. Thank you to EVERYONE who participates in this fun and creative way of giving back to our community. *Photo Credit: Kathleen Orth Ryan

The Woodlands Car Club welcomes McLaren Houston to TWCC Cars & Coffee for a Cause

Thank you to all who came to TWCC Cars & Coffee for a Cause yesterday morning and for your generous donations that will go to Lone Star Animal Welfare League this 1st quarter. Special thanks to McLaren Houston for bringing out their 2016 McLaren 570s in Ventura Orange and a 2015 Porsche 911 Turbo S in Polar White. It was an awesome turnout and we appreciate your support in our mission in "Using our Cars to Give Back to the Community".

Dana L. Pritchard | Owner/Woodlands Performance & Suspension, LLC & Owner/Woodlands Investigation Services, PLLC

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