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07/17/2018 12:00 AMCar enthusiasts and community members alike are invited to the Madison Town Green on Saturday, July 28 for the inaugural Ted Aub Memorial Car Show. The event is designed to raise money for veteran’s events and organizations, and also to celebrate the life and legacy of a man who, for decades, was a positive presence in the lives of many across the shoreline and beyond.
The car show runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Madison Town Green. The event is free to spectators; there is a $10 fee for those looking to enter a car in the show. The event is open to community members of all ages with a face painter scheduled for children as well as food and an ice cream truck. Several veterans’ groups are expected to attend and all funds raised from the show will benefit veterans’ organizations.
Event organizer Bill Raccio, who described Aub as a brother, had been doing car shows with him for years. When Aub passed in fall 2017, Raccio said he knew a car show was the best way to celebrate Aub and continue to support many of the veteran’s organizations he cared deeply about.
“This is how you honor a car guy,” he said.
Aub, from Madison, was the owner of A&A Auto Parts in Branford and served on many civic boards and organizations, including the United Way of Branford, the Branford Festival Committee, and the Marine Corps League.
Aub’s number came up in the Vietnam draft in the mid-’60s and while his call to serve was canceled, he dedicated his life to veteran’s causes in the area and across the region. He was the Connecticut coordinator of the National League of POW-MIA families, a member of the CT Welcome Home for Vietnam Veterans’ Day committee, and volunteered at Connecticut VA Hospitals, even going so far as playing Santa for a while.
“Any veteran’s cause, Teddy was pretty much right there,” said Raccio. “The man had a heart of gold.”
Raccio said a car show was a fitting tribute considering Aub’s love for cars, but he also wanted to make sure he held an event large enough for anyone to attend because as Raccio put it, Aub had a lot of friends.
“I use this term loosely, but Teddy was like the mayor—there was always somebody looking to talk to him,” he said. “He was that popular and that loved. He was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back on a 20-degree day and not even blink. If you were his friend, you were his friend. There aren’t many people like that.”
Anyone looking to enter a car in the show can just show up on the day—no pre-registration is necessary. Raccio said numerous organizations have volunteered their time or services to bring this all together.
“It takes a group of people to just pull together and reach the final goal of honoring a man,” he said. “That’s what its all about…It’s an event to say come out and enjoy the day, celebrate Ted, and see what he was involved in.”
For more information on the show or to make a donation, contact Bill Raccio at wraccio@outlook.com.
Editor's note: This story corrects an earlier version that stated the event occurs on Sunday, July 28; the date is Saturday, July 28.