DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Thousands of Jeeps started rolling into Daytona Beach on Friday for the annual Jeep Beach. There are events planned all over Volusia County over the next week for the SUV enthusiasts.
“This is unbelievable. So, our 21st Year. Literally, 25,000 plus vehicles in Daytona Beach. Over 200,000 people in Daytona Beach,” said Jeep Beach Inc. CEO Charlene Greer.
Greer said those events will include obstacles set up at the International Speedway and a major concert at the Daytona Bandshell this year.
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It’s big fun for a good cause. The entire weeklong event is a fundraiser.
“We mask the fundraising with all of this fun, right but over the last 10 years we’ve raised $4.3 million for Central Florida charities,” said Greer.
There will be thousands of Jeeps near the Speedway and thousands more at the beach.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office will be tackling the increased crowds and traffic on the sand.
“They’re typically not here to cause problems! They don’t want their expensive jeeps towed and they don’t want to spend their vacation in jail so for the most part it’s pretty tame,” said Deputy Jake Bissonnette.
It’s the first year the sheriff’s office is in charge of law enforcement on the beach during the event. News 6 rode along with Bissonnette as he explained what they’ll be looking for.
“A lot of it is equipment violations. Making sure people are having their vehicles inline with the county ordinances,” he said.
One of the new rules this year is a ban against the ‘Carolina Squat’ suspension. That’s when the front of the car is suspended higher than the back.
“Essentially nothing about it is safe anymore. Handling, lighting, the braking, everything about it changes. For us on the beach the biggest issue is mainly the kids,” said Bissonnette.
Otherwise, the more tricked out, and ducked out, the better and always welcomed.
The weeklong event will then end with the annual Jeep parade on the beach next Sunday.
“Over 12,000 jeeps at sunrise on the shores of Daytona Beach it doesn’t get any more beautiful than that,” said Greer.
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