The East Texas Crisis Center provides safety, shelter, counseling, advocacy, and education to survivors of family violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes in several counties. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

From vintage classics to sleek modern rides, the annual East Texas Auto & Cycle Show on Saturday drew hundreds of car enthusiasts to The Oil Palace in Tyler for a multi-day showcase — all benefiting a good cause.

All proceeds from Saturday’s event support the East Texas Crisis Center, which provides safety, shelter, and advocacy across five area counties for survivors of family and dating violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes.

“Whether you’re a car enthusiast, a gearhead, or just wanna see beautiful cars that you don’t see every day on the road driving, this is the place to be,” said Jeremy Flowers, director of marketing and public relations for the East Texas Crisis Center.

This year’s event marked a special milestone — a return to The Oil Palace, where the show first began in 1990.

“It really is awesome to circle back around after 35 years and go back to the place where it originally began,” Flowers said.

Holding the event indoors for the first time in several years allowed organizers to extend the show to multiple days while avoiding weather concerns.

“We’ve had great turnouts, and the weather played out perfectly,” Flowers said. “There’s so many people out here today that are coming to not only see lovely cars, but they’re here to support the mission that we’re working to move forward and provide for survivors in the community. It’s just wonderful to see so many people here to support the crisis center.”

Among the many exhibitors was Eddie Pruitt, who specializes in restoring rusted-out vehicles to showroom quality.

“I just love cars,” he said. “Anything mechanical — somebody’s brain and knowledge and ambition went into building these, and I just love that part of it.”

This was Pruitt’s first time participating in the Auto & Cycle Show.

“There’s some incredible cars,” he said. “I heard people came from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Texas… so it’s cool meeting new people and seeing cars that we’ve never seen before.”

Pruitt first learned about the East Texas Crisis Center after attending a seminar at a friend’s invitation.

“It’s one of those situations where you don’t know the whole backstory until you hear somebody tell their story and what the East Texas Crisis Center has done for their own personal life,” he said. “And that just blew my wife and I away, and we just said we would always be a part of it now.”

Big Sandy resident Joe Snow came to the show mostly to check out the classics.

“I love a good vintage … you know, old school,” he said. “It’s great to see so many of those here … (to) see all the cars and the workmanship that goes into them.”

One of the show’s highlights was the car raffle, featuring a 1967 Mustang with a 289 engine, automatic transmission and modern upgrades such as air conditioning and power brakes. For $10 a ticket, participants had the chance to win the muscle car while directly supporting the crisis center’s essential services.

Founded in 1978 as Smith County Citizens Against Rape, the East Texas Crisis Center began as a volunteer-run hotline for sexual assault survivors. As the need for domestic violence services grew, the organization expanded in 1980 to serve Smith, Wood, Rains, Henderson, and Van Zandt counties.

To learn more about the East Texas Crisis Center, visit etcc.org. For details about the Auto & Cycle Show, visit autoandcycleshow.com.