Thousands of Porsche enthusiasts descended on the Kalahari Resorts Poconos in Pennsylvania for the 66th Porsche Club of America Parade, which took place from June 12 through June 18. The annual event is a mecca of special Porsche-related activities, including concours, driver education, rally, tour, tech sessions, art displays, social events, and much more.  The Parade celebrated the 70th Anniversary of Porsche Clubs Worldwide this year. (The first club was founded in Germany in 1952; PCA was founded in 1955.) An added attraction was the unveiling of the limited edition 2023 Carrera GTS Cabriolet America, commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the iconic 356 America Roadster.  Porsche AG will make only 115 of them; it will be one of the rarest Type-992 models that the company ever releases.  

As usual, one of the most exciting and most anticipated gatherings at the Parade was the Porsche Concours d’Elegance and PCA National Awards Banquet, which took place during the evening of Tuesday, June 14.  Parade leaders announced the concours winners at the banquet and presented PCA’s most prestigious national awards.  I am delighted to inform you that Caroline and Alan Davis, who are CVR board members and chairs of special events, are this year’s recipients of the Porsche Family of the Year Award.  It is an extraordinary and well-deserved honor.  To put it in perspective, Caroline and Alan were selected as the most exceptional national and regional volunteers among the 145,000 PCA members from 147 regions and 14 zones.  PCA’s description of the award is below:

The Porsche (PCA) Family of the Year Award was originally titled the “Leroy Spanjol Memorial Award” and was first presented at Parade in 1968. The award was first sponsored by the Porsche family and continues to be sponsored by Porsche AG. The award was renamed the Porsche Family of the Year Award and presented under this title at Parade in 1974. The trophy is presented to the PCA family that demonstrates the most exceptional standards in support of their region and PCA. 

Since joining CVR in 2007, Caroline and Alan have been extensively involved as either leaders of club activities or principal volunteers to assist their implementation.  They have planned and hosted Annual Meetings and Photofests, Annual Planning Meetings, CVR’s 60th Anniversary Gala, PCA/IMSA Porscheplatzes, CVR/Lime Rock Park Porscheplatzes, and CVR activities at Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival.  They have been partners with the chair of community service in several projects, including food drives that benefit the needy and special events that help autistic children. They have also been partners with the club’s tourmeisters in planning and hosting twelve tours throughout New England.  In addition, Caroline has been in charge of food and has been co-chair of hospitality at the annual CVR Club Race, while Alan has been in charge of its radio communications.  For years, they have attended every Annual Meeting and Photofest, Annual Planning Meeting, monthly board meeting, and club-wide Monthly Meeting.  In recognition of their exceptional commitment to CVR and their significant contributions to it, they received two of the club’s most important awards:  Rookies of the Year in 2010 and Enthusiasts of the Year in 2018. 

As the national award reflects, the impressive work performed by Caroline and Alan extends beyond CVR.  Since 2015, they have volunteered at PCA Parades, managing the Welcome Tent and the Parade Art Show.  Since 2017, they have assisted with driver registration, grid work, and distribution of awards at Zone 1 Races held at Watkins Glen International.  Caroline and Alan performed volunteer work at the 2019 PCA Treffen in Vermont. They have attended every PCA Parade since 2015, no matter the distance from home, and every Tech Tactics East since 2017.

Caroline and Alan’s exceptional work is complemented by their outstanding temperament and positive attitude. They remain calm and demonstrate resolve in the most challenging of circumstances.  They are empathic listeners to club members who express concerns or solicit advice.  Caroline and Alan are gracious in their gift of time to club members who seek assistance.  They help others without condescension, complaint, or fanfare.  They are consummate team members, always open-minded, cooperative, and forgiving.

Paul Kudra, former CVR president and current vice president of autocross, shares my positive perceptions of Caroline and Alan:

“The Davises are a cornerstone of CVR.  They are always present in the best ofways, selflessly volunteering and doing the unsung planning and plain hard work to effect some of the most beloved events our region offers.  I cannot count the times they have painstakingly done all the research and organization to run an event, only to have circumstances beyond their control thwart it.  Tirelessly, they replanned and made modifications to adapt.  When the event actually happened, it was seamless, massively successful, and a big hit with CVR members.  Caroline and Alan are so humble and capable that events seem “easy” to the casual attendee, but those of us who know the work that is required are very grateful for the uber-volunteers that the Davises are.  They set the benchmark for what it means to serve the club.  The Porsche Family of the Year Award is a very well-deserved acknowledgement of their tireless energy and leadership.”

Shelley Krohnengold, CVR executive vice president, adds:

“Whether a local CVR event or a more high-profile event at Lime Rock Park, when you hand over a task to Caroline and Alan, you can always expect great things. Their positive attitude and the smiles on their faces say it all.”

Another fan of the Davises is Lisa Parker, former CVR president and current membership chair:

“I have known Caroline and Alan Davis for over fourteen years.  It is a true pleasure having them as CVR board members and active participants in the club.  Through their involvement year after year in social engagements, Porscheplatzes, family gatherings, Club Race, and many other events, they have been instrumental in ensuring that our members have the best experiences with CVR/PCA.”

Former tourmeisters, Maria and Phil Capella, worked closely with Davises on many tours. The Capellas believe Caroline and Alan epitomize the PCA slogan, “Fueled by Volunteers.”

Caroline and Alan are widely respected throughout our region.  In addition to their exceptional work and many achievements, their legacy will be the goodwill and kindness they demonstrate continuously in their interactions.  Club members are fortunate to benefit from their good deeds and impressive temperament.

Many club members know John Collins of Ware, Massachusetts for the well-planned and engaging Coffee Runs he hosts with Steve Tougias, a fellow resident of the Bay State.  In addition to Coffee Runs and other Porsche-related interests, John is a talented artist.  His oil on canvas painting titled Carerra GTS won two prizes at the Parade.  It won first place in the category of studio art/painting. It also won the Porsche Family Award for Excellence, which is for the artwork a representative of the Porsche Family selects as the best in show.  Grant Larson, who is the director of special projects at Porsche AG, was the representative of the Porsche Family this year.  Most recently, he was the lead designer of the 25th Anniversary Boxster.

John started oil painting two years ago.  He hopes art will play a central role in his retirement, which began in April.  His Carerra GTS is the first painting he entered in an art show; he thought he would “test the waters” at the Parade.  It was quite an inauguration of his artwork!

Many club members know I am an ardent fan of Paul Kudra, as reflected in an article I wrote about him in the March 2022 issue of Challenge. Paul added to his long list of CVR and PCA artistic accomplishments by winning three awards at the Parade.  His photo, 12 Midnight, won first place in the Classic Color Photography Category.  (This photo was also best in show at the 2018 CVR Photofest.)

His painting, The Run Off, placed first in the Design Category.  Paul donated this painting to Hoffman Porsche in East Hartford, commemorating the dealership’s longstanding support of CVR autocross.  Paul’s painting, Good Morning, won the Computer-Generated Art Category. The name of the category seems a bit misleading to me.  Paul painted the entire piece, but with a stylus brush instead of a bristle brush.

In addition to his artwork, Paul brought his new “Junior Boxster” to the Parade, which he made out of plywood.  It is a quixotic piece designed for children in the driver’s seat.  However, it also appealed to big kids at the Parade, as indicated in the photo of Dick Strahota, former CVR president, at the wheel.

Paul’s description of the miniature car’s build process reveals his creativity:

“I sketched out a caricature of a Boxster on a 4’ x 8’ piece of plywood. I had made a series of similar Christmas cards, so I had the technique down to memory to get the proportions right. Then I cut it out with a jigsaw, sanded it, and painted all of the details by brush with leftover latex paints. (I mixed a few colors to get a Porsche color I had once seen.)  Next, I glued on some wooden uprights to support the two steel bars I cut for feet, allowing it to stand free, while swiveling flat for transportation ease. When touching up my 911’s brushed steel roll-cage, I also sanded the Boxster Junior’s steel feet and painted them with the same automotive clear-coat – – so they looked good. A milk crate serves as a seat for any people who want to get a photo of themselves. The seat is sized for my seven-year-old PCA Junior neighbor.”

In addition to club leaders, the Letouzey family, who are new club members, won art awards.  Charles’ photo, First Autocross, achieved third place in Photography: Classic Black and White. It was taken when his wife, Jennifer, was driving in her initial CVR autocross.  Elizabeth, Charles’ daughter, received honorable mention for Studio Art with “Mom and Dad’s Helmet:  My Special Touch on My Mom and Dad’s Helmet for Autocross.

Charles and his wife, Jen, also participated in autocross at the Parade.  They and several other CVR members performed well in the event.  Paul Kudra is writing an article about their success.

In addition to receiving the Porsche Family of the Year Award with his wife, Caroline, Alan Davis won Honorable Mention in Photography: Classic Black and White, for his photo, One Lane Bridge.

The 2023 Parade will take place at LaQuinta Resort in Palm Springs, California from June 18 to June 25.  Start planning now!

Yours truly,