The Hinesville Horsepower Car Club hosted its monthly Hinesville Cars and Coffee Saturday, raising funds for Reaching Milestones.

The car club started the get-togethers at the Dunkin Donuts, 541 W. Oglethorpe Hwy., four years ago. What started as a car enthusiasts’ social eventually grew into a charitable event with the group raising funds for various organizations.

Reaching Milestones is a behavioral treatment program for autistic and special needs children, with learning centers in Hinesville and Richmond Hill.

“It is National Autism Month,” Shannon Polston said. “We did this same event for them last year and decided to do it again.”

Polston and her husband Jeremy founded the club and its Cars and Coffees. She is the district manager of Dunkin Donuts, and said her company supports the event by sponsoring trophies.

Car aficionados can register their custom and classic cars for judging. Registration is free. 

“When we first started this, we probably had about 20 cars out here and now we average a little over 100 registered cars,” Jeremy Polston said, noting the show keeps growing.

Saturday, children from the Reaching Milestone centers served as guest judges and got to pick their favorites.

Since registering vehicles is free, the Polstons said funds come from donations. They raised $535 by auctioning off a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard, which was provided by JDX Uniforms and Indoor Gun Range of Garden City.

“It’s a great get-together,” Shannon Polston said.

“Our senior vice president typically shows her car here so she knows Shannon and they invited us here last year and now this year,” Jamie Andrew, a representative of Reaching Milestones said.

She said proceeds will be used for the annual Puzzle Run Saturday in Richmond Hill. The race, which is also a fundraiser, at 9 a.m. in J.F. Gregory Park. Its proceeds go to the Bryan County Special Olympics.