This “Design of the Week” features “Mopars at the Marina”!
Our Design of the Week is Mopars at the Marina – an annual gathering in Long Beach, Mississippi, that coincides with the “Cruisin’ the Coast” week-long event along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Billed as “America’s Largest Block Party,” Cruisin’ the Coast celebrates antique, classic and hot rod vehicles, nostalgic music, and related events.
In 2007, Eric Keller and David Pizzolato organized “Mopars at the Marina” to bring together Mopar enthusiasts during this annual celebration. “Mopars at the Marina is a volunteer group of about a dozen guys and gals,” says Keller. “Each year, we cook over 350 servings of Cajun Jambalaya. It’s a central part of our event. It’s possibly the best jambalaya year after year.”
“Each year, we have two cars on our shirt for our Mopar yearly cruise,” says Keller. “My favorite part of the shirt each year is the detail that goes into reproducing the cars. I really believe no one does as good a job at the details of a design than Excel. The people that buy our shirts are car people, die-hard car people, and they appreciate the attention to detail the cars on our shirts have.”
“We do not charge anyone to attend; we do not charge for the food or drinks. Donations and shirt sales pay for the day,” explains Keller. “So we provide a great shirt, and we have no trouble selling enough to pay for next year.”
The event’s shirt always features two cars, and Keller and his team pool from their community to determine which of the cars are featured. “One name is drawn from those who buy a shirt, and their car goes on next year’s shirt along with a car we choose from our volunteers or a for some special reason,” Keller explains. The experience is profound, “When we put someone’s car on our shirt, and they see that shirt for the first time, they are so proud. You can immediately tell that’s their car.”
“My motto for this event is always to give more than we promise. And Excel was one choice that helps us deliver on that promise,” expounds Keller. “Working with Excel’s artists has always been easy and nearly effortless for me. Yes, sometimes I can get a little picky about something I want on my design or a certain part of the car,” he laughs, “but they change it and get it right.”
“We are proud to see our shirts appear at other events all over the Southeast. And I feel the shirt we deliver is appreciated for design and quality. I see our shirts from 5 years ago, and they look better than other shirts that are just a year or so old,” says Keller. “I have included in my pictures shirts from a few past years just to show what I mean when I say when we chose Excel, we did the right thing.”
One design, in particular, stands out for Keller, one year that proved to him that “a shirt can really make a difference.” He describes, “Couple years back, I chose to put one of our first and yearly attendee’s car [a yellow ’68 Dart] on our shirt, as he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sorry to say he did not live to see the shirt printed. When I sent his wife the shirt, she told me it was of the nicest things anyone ever did for him. She knew he was smiling when she got it. Later on, she had to sell the car, but she told me she would always have that shirt.”
This year’s “Mopars at the Marina” event is this Thursday, October 10th, at Long Beach, Mississippi.
Stop down for the great jambalaya, great cars, and great community!
For more information, join their Facebook Group, or visit the Mopars at the Marina website for photos from previous years’ events.
For more info on the entire “Cruisin’ the Coast” event, visit their website.
This “Design of the Week” features “Mopars at the Marina”!
Our Design of the Week is Mopars at the Marina – an annual gathering in Long Beach, Mississippi, that coincides with the “Cruisin’ the Coast” week-long event along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Billed as “America’s Largest Block Party,” Cruisin’ the Coast celebrates antique, classic and hot rod vehicles, nostalgic music, and related events.
In 2007, Eric Keller and David Pizzolato organized “Mopars at the Marina” to bring together Mopar enthusiasts during this annual celebration. “Mopars at the Marina is a volunteer group of about a dozen guys and gals,” says Keller. “Each year, we cook over 350 servings of Cajun Jambalaya. It’s a central part of our event. It’s possibly the best jambalaya year after year.”
“Each year, we have two cars on our shirt for our Mopar yearly cruise,” says Keller. “My favorite part of the shirt each year is the detail that goes into reproducing the cars. I really believe no one does as good a job at the details of a design than Excel. The people that buy our shirts are car people, die-hard car people, and they appreciate the attention to detail the cars on our shirts have.”
“We do not charge anyone to attend; we do not charge for the food or drinks. Donations and shirt sales pay for the day,” explains Keller. “So we provide a great shirt, and we have no trouble selling enough to pay for next year.”
The event’s shirt always features two cars, and Keller and his team pool from their community to determine which of the cars are featured. “One name is drawn from those who buy a shirt, and their car goes on next year’s shirt along with a car we choose from our volunteers or a for some special reason,” Keller explains. The experience is profound, “When we put someone’s car on our shirt, and they see that shirt for the first time, they are so proud. You can immediately tell that’s their car.”
“My motto for this event is always to give more than we promise. And Excel was one choice that helps us deliver on that promise,” expounds Keller. “Working with Excel’s artists has always been easy and nearly effortless for me. Yes, sometimes I can get a little picky about something I want on my design or a certain part of the car,” he laughs, “but they change it and get it right.”
“We are proud to see our shirts appear at other events all over the Southeast. And I feel the shirt we deliver is appreciated for design and quality. I see our shirts from 5 years ago, and they look better than other shirts that are just a year or so old,” says Keller. “I have included in my pictures shirts from a few past years just to show what I mean when I say when we chose Excel, we did the right thing.”
One design, in particular, stands out for Keller.
The year that proved to him that “a shirt can really make a difference.” He describes, “Couple years back, I chose to put one of our first and yearly attendee’s car [a yellow ’68 Dart] on our shirt, as he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sorry to say he did not live to see the shirt printed. When I sent his wife the shirt, she told me it was of the nicest things anyone ever did for him. She knew he was smiling when she got it. Later on, she had to sell the car, but she told me she would always have that shirt.”
This year’s “Mopars on the Marina” event is this Thursday, October 10th, at Long Beach, Mississippi.
Stop down for the great jambalaya, great cars, and great community!
