Hulk Hogan Gives FishHawk Resident Ride of His Life

The last time Doug Gilmore won anything was 20 years ago.

"I won a clock radio," he said. "That's the only thing I can remember winning."

So the FishHawk Ranch resident certainly wasn't expecting to win the 2011  Synergy Camaro on display at the Florida Strawberry Festival earlier this month.

"I just figured I'd buy some raffle tickets because the money was going to a good cause," he said.

He and his wife, Marie, were at the Strawberry Festival to see the classic rock group, The Doobie Brothers, when Gilmore spotted the bright green Camaro autographed by Hulk Hogan on display at the festival. Gilmore promptly purchased four raffle tickets for $20.

"I never win things but I fell in love with that car," said Gilmore.

"That's a concert I'll never forget," said Marie Gilmore.

The Sunday after the concert, the last day of the Strawberry Festival, the Gilmores received a phone call from Steve Hurley, owner of Stingray Chevrolet of Plant City.

"It was 6:15 in the afternoon and I answered the phone," said Marie Gilmore, editor and owner of the Osprey Observer newspaper. "As soon as Steve asked me if we'd purchased a raffle ticket, I knew we'd won."

"I just started yelling and jumping up and down," said 10-year-old Cross Gilmore, describing his reaction on hearing the news. He said his 6-year-old brother, Troy, ran around the house cheering.

On Friday, Hulk Hogan personally handed Gilmore the keys to his new car at Stingray Chevrolet.

The car was donated by Stingray Chevrolet and the Bubba the Love Sponge Foundation, headed by radio personality Bubba Clem. All proceeds from the nearly 20,000 tickets sold went to Unity in the Community Inc. of Plant City, founded by longtime Plant City resident Joyce Jordan.

When the proceeds were totaled, Clemson and Hurley presented Jordan a check for $100,000. The funds will be used for various Plant City charities including Meals on Wheels and the United Food Bank.

This is the second year Hurley and the Bubba the Love Sponge Foundation have teamed up to give away a Camaro at the Strawberry Festival. Last year's raffle raised $70,000.

This year's 400-horsepower Camaro signed by Hulk Hogan on the glovebox, attracted even more participants, said Hurley.

"We sold $20,000 in tickets the last two days of the festival," he said. "It was a great partnership and the money goes to a great cause."

On hand for the presentation was Gilmore's friend, Jamie Jacobs, a FishHawk Ranch resident and co-host of the WFLA Channel 8 "Daytime" show.

A classic car fan, Jacobs said he couldn't believe it when he heard his friend had won the Camaro.

"What's ironic is I was filming a 'Daytime' segment at the Strawberry Festival that Saturday and I was standing in front of the car eating some fried butter," said Jacobs. "It thought the car was so cool, but I didn't purchase a ticket. Then I find out that Doug won it."

The Gilmores, outfitted in matching Camara Synergy "Green with Envy" T-shirts, said they weren't even thinking about the raffle Sunday when they received the call from Hurley.

"I couldn't believe it," said Gilmore.

Hulk Hogan, who made an appearance on the television show, "American Idol," Friday night, took a red-eye flight home from Los Angeles to be there for the presentation of the car.

"I was happy to team up with Bubba and Steve for this great cause," he said. "It's a beautiful car."