May 2019

Page B11 MAY 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on Professional Car Society heads to Rapid City, South Dakota for 2019 International Meet LAFAYETTE,NJ— The Professional Car Society, founded in 1976 to foster authentically restored funeral vehicles, limousines and ambulances that can be fully appreciated within the wider old car hobby, is staging its 2019 Interna- tional Meet in Rapid City, SD and the surrounding Black Hills on Monday- Friday, June 24th-28th. Funeral directors and emergency ser- vice personnel who have spent their ca- reers working with pro-cars will likely book many of the rooms at the Best Western Ramkota Inn serving as this year’s headquarters hotel. This pet- friendly facility is conveniently lo- cated off I-90, Exit 59 offering room service, an on-site waterpark and a shuttle to-and-from the Rapid City Regional Airport. Mention the Pro- fessional Car Society to secure the $139 pre-tax nightly group rate that extends to the weekends preceding and following the meet, or book on- line through the hotel link posted at www.theprofessionalcarsociety.org/2019- meet.html . Meet host John “Ed” Renstrom stresses “the majority of land in west- ern South Dakota is owned by the Federal or state government as a Na- tional Park, Monument or Grasslands so it’s your land, it belongs to you and this is your chance to get a real good look at it and see how we’ve been tak- ing care of it.” The itinerary includes bus tours of Badlands National Park; the Mammoth Site at Hot Springs; the Crazy Horse Memorial; the night lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore; and the recently dedicated Minute- men Missile National Historic Site recalling how the Rapid City region was home to 150 nuclear missile si- los and 15 launch command centers at the height of the Cold War. With these sites safely deactivated since 1991, Rand McNally’s 2011 “Best of the Road” contest named Rapid City the “Most Patriotic Small Town in the United States”! The Meet’s highlight will inevita- bly be the Professional Car Show that will take place in Rapid City’s historic downtown district. The PCS welcomes funeral vehicles with floral arrange- ments and ambulances and hearse- ambulance “combination” coaches fit- ting authentic rescue gear, but macabre distractions like coffins, cobwebs and skeletons are prohibited so the public’s attention stays focused on the aesthet- ics and fine craftsmanship of the par- ticipating cars. Camper conversions re- taining their original bodies can also be exhibited but won’t be judged, while safety dictates every show car must also have wheel chocks and a fire extin- guisher. The awards banquet, following Deb Powell’s keynote speech on “fron- tier EMS” history, will conclude in trademark PCS fashion with an awe- inspiring ambulance beacon light show spurring attendees’ anticipation for the 2020 and 2021 International Meets that will be respectively staged in Up- state New York’s Adirondack Region andWarren, OH. You can find the full PCS 2019 South Dakota schedule at www.theprofessionalcarsociety.org/2019- meet.html . More than 300 funeral homes have leveraged the online resources and nearly 40,000 customized booklets have been ordered since the initiative’s 2018 roll out. The video, which features Good Grief CEO and child- hood grief expert, Joe Primo, has received nearly more than 125,000 views. “With practical tips and testimoni- als, the Youth & Funerals initiative provides families and communities with a deeper understanding of how to sup- port, and, perhaps most importantly, empower grieving children,” said Primo. The initiative underscores the Foundation’s mission to support funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and communities it serves. Made possible by the generosity and vision of Foundation donors, the ini- tiative also provides a natural link to strengthen and grow re- lationships with organizations outside of funeral service. Dave McComb, CEO of Inman Shipping Worldwide and Funeral Service Foundation trustee states, “The Youth &Funerals initiative is a wonderful tool to assist funeral pro- fessionals and the families they serve and putting this link on the Inman Shipping Worldwide website is another way we can help to get this information seen and used.” “From grassroots sharing across social platforms, to tak- ing the initiative out into the community, we’ve seen the initiative gain momentum over the last year,” said Foun- dation director of communication, Kelly Manion. “Pro- fessionals from within and outside funeral service have embraced the tools and are truly helping carry forward the Foundation’s vision of an improved end-of-life expe- rience for loved ones and their families.” Since 1978, Inman has become the expert in the ship- ment of human remains domestically and internation- ally! Inman has over 450 representatives throughout the United States and abroad. They guarantee their domes- tic price  and the quality of service that they provide. Be- ing the oldest continuous shipping service in the United States, they are often copied, but are never equaled. Fu- neral directors have called on them with complete con- fidence for many decades. Whatever the assignment, In- man will perform it in the manner consumers would expect. For more information, visit www.shipinman.com or call 800-321-0566. Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the profession’s philanthropic voice. As the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997, the Foundation receives operational support from NFDA and donors across the profession to help advance its mis- sion to support funeral service in building meaningful re- lationships with the families and the communities it serves. For more information or to place an order for the Youth & Funerals booklet, visit www.funeralservicefoundation.org/ resources/youth-and-funerals/. Now offering a Personalized Memorial Line custom greeting cards • funeral programs memorial invitations • t-shirts • magnets prayer cards • Canvas Prints • full color banners Members of the Funeral Industry Save 10% Every Day! Call today for your FREE Sample Kit Inman Shipping Worldwide supports Funeral Service Foundation’s Youth & Funerals Initiative FORT WAYNE,IN— Inman Shipping Worldwide, the experts in the transportation of human remains has add- ed the Funeral Service Foundation Youth & Funerals booklet link on their website homepage. The Funeral Service Foundation’s Youth & Funerals initiative equips funeral service professionals with tools to navigate the deeply personal question, Should my child attend the fu- neral? Available resources include an e-book and video that funeral homes and organizations can embed on web- sites and share on social media platforms. A booklet cus- tomized with a firm or organization’s logo and business information is also available. The tools, available online, help debunk the common myths that prevent youth from attending or participating in funerals; offer age-appropriate language and advice on discussing death and funerals with youth; and give sug- gestions for youth preparedness, empowerment and in- volvement in memorialization.

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