A rainswept car show was one of many ways the McWaters family has gracefully and determinedly persevered through an unprecedented season.

On Saturday, Aug. 23, the Shelby Shines On Foundation held its first annual Glitz & Gears Car Show at The Church Covington. Despite the unrelenting rain, over 50 vehicles participated and more than 20 vendors came out.

With such dedication, you would not know this is the first time the foundation has held a car show. To hear the organization is less than a year old may feel like a stretch of the imagination.

But a year ago, Tiffany and Chris McWaters, the parents of Shelby McWaters, could not have known that their life would change so radically in just a few months.

Shelby McWaters was a bold soul. She lived unabashedly, always eager to experience life to the fullest. 

From insisting on taking karate as a child to graduating from Covington Academy with honors, Shelby gave everything her all.

“She was the absolute joy and sunshine of every room that she was ever in her entire life,” Tiffany said. “Everybody that met her loved her. She was just a people person. People were drawn to her, she was drawn to people. She was not somebody who was ever alone.”

With her passion for life and eagerness to experience it all, Shelby could not be defined by her lifelong battle with Klippel-Trénaunay Syndrome (KTS).

KTS is a rare congenital vascular disorder that has no known cause or cure. It can lead to problems with limb overgrowth and venous malformations. 

Shelby’s struggle with KTS began as an infant. She received her diagnosis just weeks after birth. Her specific hurdles were concentrated on the right side of her body, where she battled with twisted and swollen veins in her legs and a thicker appearance to her limbs.

“Nothing was easy for Shelby,” Tiffany said. “Everything that would just be easy for someone else, Shelby had to fight for.”

According to Tiffany, Shelby spent significant time in various therapies throughout her life. Due to developmental delays, therapy for Shelby began at just 18 months old. This continued throughout her life, as she went through occupational, physical and speech therapies.

“Everything for Shelby was hard, but she fought with every ounce of being that she had, and she smiled and had a good time with it the whole entire way,” Tiffany said. “We’ve always said that because of her, that we know that God gives people with special needs a little extra something, because she was just absolute joy. She was the absolute best of us in every way.”

On Dec. 13, 2024, Shelby sadly passed away at the age of 22 after suffering a stroke. But her parents determined that Shelby’s name would not be soon forgotten. 

In fact, her legacy would live on through a nonprofit whose mission would be to keep Shelby’s heart of compassion alive, fund research and awareness of KTS and further educational opportunities for students who exemplify a spirit of inclusivity.

Thus, in January 2025, the Shelby Shines On Foundation was born.

In its eight months of existence, the foundation has already made strides that cement it as one of the most notable up-and-coming nonprofit organizations in Newton County.

The foundation has already put on a handful of events, all of which tie back to Shelby’s own life in special ways.

In June, the Shelby Shines on Gold Tournament took place at Ashton Hills Golf Club. The turnout was so significant that it was a “record day” for the club. 

Though a golf tournament is a common means of organizing a fun fundraiser in Newton County, this was no random choice. During her time at Covington Academy, Shelby was a member of the golf team. 

Similarly, the decision to host a car show last weekend was near and dear to the McWaters’ memories of Shelby.

“She loved car shows,” Tiffany said. “It was just something that was easy for her to do…She loved to go and look at the cars and snack on the fair-type food that’s typically out there and talk with the people and just kind of meander and mingle around. Those are some of the times where she felt like she could assert some independence and walk around by herself.”

And to top it all off, Shelby is named after the Shelby Mustang. The car show was almost destined to be a hit – evidently, rain or shine.

“I was shocked that that many people showed up in the rain,” Tiffany said. “Like enough that the two food trucks that we had sold out of their food…The board and all of us told ourselves that if it was this big of an event on a nasty rainy day, we can’t imagine what it would’ve been like had it been a sunny day.”

But it does not stop at these two events. 

Though they were both undoubtedly home runs, Shelby Shines On is making every effort to incorporate Shelby’s favorite things into their efforts – of which there are plenty, as Shelby has no shortage of zest for life.

Shelby ran a cottage bakery called Shelby’s Sugar Shack, which was inspired by her love for baking and a school business plan project. The foundation chose to carry on with an Easter sale in April that included Shelby’s signature dipped apples. 

“It was just really more of a reason for everybody who loved Shelby to get together and make goodies in her honor and just celebrate and reminisce about her,” Tiffany said. “But we also raised some money for the foundation at the same time.”

Additionally, Christmastime was Shelby’s absolute favorite time of year, and her family will by no means be scaling down.

“At our house, we had something called Candy Cane Lane that we would set up that had signs and candy canes out,” Tiffany said. “She kept them full so that neighbors and kids could drive by and pick up candy canes during Christmas as they were out looking at Christmas lights.”

This December, as the family nears a year without their daughter, two events are in store. 

“We have Santa Claus coming to our house on Candy Cane Lane for a couple hours that evening on Dec. 13, which is the one-year anniversary of her passing. And he’s going to be here to give out candy canes and just spread some Christmas cheer in her honor.”

In addition, on Dec. 5, the foundation will hold a black-tie Christmas Gala in Shelby’s memory, honoring her and everything the foundation has been able to accomplish this year. Details about the event have not been released yet.

Shelby’s spirit lives on through the dedication and love of those who knew her and refuse to let her memory fade. More information about the foundation, Shelby’s story and the donation and scholarship opportunities is available at www.shelbyshineson.org.

“One of the things we want to do is just keep people talking about Shelby,” Tiffany said. “We want to keep her spirit alive, keep her name alive, and just make sure she’s not forgotten.”