April 13, 2010

Bulldogs Help America On Wheels Celebrate Anniversary
WFMZ’s Jaccii Farris, Morning Call’s Bill White To Judge Beauty Contest

Allentown, Pa – More than two dozen bulldogs, including a celebrity appearance from the pug who starred in the recent “Sherlock Holmes” movie with Robert Downey Jr. will participate in a Bulldog Beauty Contest on Saturday to help America On Wheels celebrate its second anniversary.

Leo the Bulldog, who played Gladstone in the recent movie, will appear with at least 26 other canines from across the region, including one dog that skateboards and others that will display their various talents. Judges for the contest, which begins at 11 a.m., include WFMZ reporter and bulldog owner Jaccii Farris and Bill White, columnist for The Morning Call and a longtime dog owner. Farris, an award-winning reporter for the Lehigh Valley’s leading television news show, is a proud owner of two French bulldogs, Oscar and Violet. White, a longtime columnist know for his Christmas lights competition, Musikfest gorging and advice to the lovelorn, noted in his recent blog that he has been a bulldog fan since his college days.

The third judge will be a member of the Lenape Bulldog Club of Pennsylvania. “We’re very excited about the contest and looking forward to seeing all these great pups greeting our guests for our second anniversary,” said America On Wheels Executive Director Linda Merkel. “As the Mack Truck icon, this breed of dog is typically associated with toughness but at America On Wheels, the owners will show their dog’s fun side by dressing them up in all sorts of fun attire.

“Judging will be based on each bulldog’s features, which will be shown in all their glory as they parade through our South Gallery, where Mack Trucks are featured,” Merkel added

Festivities begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 17 with a Go Green exhibit and presentation on Smart Cars conducted by the Smart Alec Club of the Lehigh Valley from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- done in conjunction with Earth Day. The fun continues with a History of the Ford Motor Company by John Kostenbader of the Lehigh Valley Model A Club at 10:30 a.m. and caps off with the Bull Dog Beauty Contest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At 1:30 p.m. children will be able to make their own individual dirt cakes.

The museum is teaming up this year with the Art Museum and DaVinci Center on the Go Green initiative to mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Related activities will be held at both institutions throughout the weekend.

America On Wheels opened in April 2008 as the cornerstone of the City of Allentown’s redevelopment plans for the Lehigh River waterfront between the Hamilton Street and Tilghman Street bridges just off Front Street. Since the opening it has drawn more than 41,000 visitors, including dignitaries such as U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, Italian automobile collector Nichola Bulgari and famed Indy 500 racer Mario Andretti.

The anniversary weekend also marks one of the last opportunities to view 11 unique vehicles in the “Imagineering At Its Best – Cool, Crazy and Creative” custom and concept car exhibit. The exhibit ends in late April and will be replaced with a muscle car exhibit in early May.

Easily accessible to a half-dozen other renowned cultural institutions in Allentown, AOW celebrates our nation’s love affair with motorized and non-motorized over-the-road transportation and its permanent exhibits range from the Nadig – one of America’s first automobiles, produced in Allentown – to the massive Mack Trucks that helped America become the most powerful nation in the world. AOW also offers hands-on playtime exhibits and learning centers for the children and a souvenir shop for race fans and anyone with an affinity for our automotive legacy.

For More Information:
Linda Merkel - Executive Director
America On Wheels Museum
5 N. Front St. Allentown, PA
(610) 432-4200
director@americaonwheels.org
www.americaonwheels.org