After reading my post about the Circus Train (pictured) at Park Road Shopping Center (PRSC), Ron Dougherty left the following Twain-esque comment--a wonderful story about events that took place a half-century ago at PRSC.
Ron's comment was so moving, funny, and thoughtful that I've decided to feature it as a stand-alone post:
"I have just run across this page; I was trying to find out when Park Road SC opened. My family moved to Charlotte in 1951, when I was 5, and when PRSC opened, I was 10. For part of the grand opening, a raffle for 25 boy's bikes and 25 girl's bikes was held. Each store gave out entry forms if you stopped in and asked for them. I couldn't afford a bike at the time, and needed one for a paper route (I eventually delivered the Charlotte News), so I just HAD to win one.
I collected handfuls of entry forms, and spent many nights filling them all out by hand. I kept the stubs in numerical order in a large box. I still remember how many I filled out- close to 2,000.
On the day of the drawing out in the middle of the parking lot, all the entries from all the stores had been put in a huge drum. I was there with my family and my box. I was so relieved when my name was the third one called out! I was surprised when it was also the fifth one called out. I became embarrassed when my name was called every three or four names. I was called up onto the platform and asked how many forms I'd filled out. When I told the folks, everyone in the crowd had a good laugh. They had another when the man in charge bent over with his microphone and told me kindly 'But you do know we're only giving you one bike, don't you son?'
That bike remained in my possession and at our house on Somerset Drive until my Mom sold it and moved to a condominium near Park Road and Selwyn. Of all the bikes I've had since then, some costing a thousand dollars, none has meant as much to me as the red one I won that day."
