AONE’s first venture into sponsoring an Italian Car Show in conjunction with the High Hopes Hot Air Balloon Festival in Milford, NH on June 16 lacked just one thing – hot air balloons. The annual three-day charitable fund-raising event was plagued by inclement weather practically the entire time, and there weren’t any hot air balloons to be seen.

The High Hopes organizers, a dedicated and enthusiastic group, consolidated the remaining activities of the event, which normally occupies several fields, into one large common area. Our Italian Car Show was closer to the rest of the activities than originally planned; in fact, they put us in a big, new, empty agricultural equipment shed. That was nice, since there was some mist falling at times, and the convertible owners could keep their tops down.

Overall, there were around 14-15 Italian cars in attendance, although not all at the same time. There was the usual good variety of Alfas, including a roundtail, three kammtails, a GTV, a Berlina, a Milano, a 164LS, and two matching green/tan ’92 164Ls. We were joined by a glorious champagne-colored four-cam 1967 Ferrari GTB/4 and a lovely red Fiat Dino convertible. There would have been another GTV present, but Stephan de Pénasse’s was stranded in Montreal, where its transmission seized in the parking lot of the Canadian Grand Prix. Stephan is the guy who linked us up with High Hopes and who did the brunt of the legwork, being the AONE liaison with the High Hopes staff, putting up and taking down signs to the show, and securing our venue.

Alas, the weekend was rather disappointing for the High Hopes Foundation. This group is a volunteer organization that provides special wishes for critically ill and terminal children. Each year, High Hopes is able to fulfill some of these wishes with fund-raising events like the Festival. They sometimes have a rainy day, but never a weekend washout like this one. No balloons took off; the helicopter never showed, and attendance was a tiny fraction of what it usually is. There were still amusement rides, entertainment, food vendors, etc. and a few hundred people were there, but the organizers said that they would have been $60,000 ahead if the weather had cooperated. ’Tis a shame, for all of the sick children with wishes.

Still, the Italian car people who showed up were upbeat about the affair and not at all discouraged about the prospects of trying it again next year. Already, plans are afoot to perhaps meet for breakfast before next year’s event and for dinner afterward at a great nearby Italian restaurant. And next year we’ll be able to get an earlier start and promote the event through the other Italian car clubs in the New England area.