Car show one of many lasting legacies for Roger Bamesberger

There was one guy missing Friday night in Hampton, but it felt very much like he was there.
Roger Bamesberger spent 20 years building up the TDLC Cruise Night, starting from scratch with just a few cars and a relatively small crowd. Over the years he kept rolling out the red carpet (or in typical Hawk Nation style, he would say it had a distinctive purple hue), inviting more people to show up and/or volunteer. It’s pretty hard, most would agree, to say no to Roger Bamesberger when he was leading the way.
In time he created a laid back car show with a buzz of adrenaline, matching a style reflected in his own business and life. He made sure there were no trophies or ribbons handed out, focusing instead on just appreciating quality cars, serving up a free meal for a crowd of several hundred, and helping put people in a good mood with one last summer evening out. Not a lot of flash or flare at this gig, that wasn’t his way. Just a genuine sense of community for all to enjoy and appreciate. And oh by way there were some real cool, classic vehicles lining the street, with owners usually standing nearby more than happy to share their history.
Several months after Bamesberger passed away, the event went on without him, though in fact he was the talk of the town. Everybody has a Roger Bamesberger tale to tell, and on this night he was the main topic of conversation.
It was an emotional night for the Bamesberger family, to be sure. His wife Bonnie confided that she was leery about continuing on with the car show without his guiding hand, though once it started she felt very much at ease, realizing that folks were there to have a good time, and also to pay tribute to her late husband. Daughters Danielle and Tiffany spoke with pride about the example he set for them, and were touched to see so many people there to tip their hat, many offering donations to help fund a veteran’s memorial Roger had talked about for years. It’s a sure bet that memorial project will happen, eventually, leaving yet another lasting, visible mark on Hampton.
Roger deserves all of that and more. As shared at the time of his death in May, he was a guy who looked for projects that needed doing in his beloved Hampton, and then set about doing them, often using his own resources. He was positive, supportive, direct when need be, but always focused on making things better. So often in today’s world we hear people complain about problems or circumstances, but stop short of taking the initiative to make a positive difference.
Our world could use more Roger Bamesbergers.  
-- Kurt Johnson