The Breakfast Club belts out ’80’s favorites at Rooftop Rhythms.

Editor’s Note: Wang chung: to go out socially and have fun.

When members of the band, the Breakfast Club, asked Forest Acres residents if they wanted to “wang chung tonight” an overwhelming amount of them did.

That set the mood for Rooftop Rhythms, held on October 8 in conjunction with the Taste of Forest Acres, as the band then bel ted out “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by the 1980s group Wang Chung and many other hits from various hair bands of that era.

The evening also featured beach music by the Tams, who entertained an estimated 1,000 people on the upper parking deck at the Forest Acres Mall.

Presented by the Forest Acres Restaurant and Merchant’s Association, the early evening event also included inflatable bounce houses, climbing walls, and slides for the children, local vendors’ information booths, and food and beverages offered by Forest Acres’ restaurants, including Grouchos, Pasta Fresca, Moe's, Zesto, Village Idiot, Tombo, and Smokehouse BBQ.

Forest Acres’ own aspiring NASCAR driver Jordan Anderson shows his wrecked race car. Also on display was the somewhat crushed and reconstructed Forest Acres–sponsored race car and its lucky driver, Jordan Anderson, who told the tale of the car’s demise the week before when it flipped during an unfortunate race–day incident.

“The fella ahead of me hit the wall, and then hit me and we flipped over, and that’s the first time that’s ever happened in 11 years of dr iving,” said Anderson, who was not hurt despite the fact he was traveling around 130 miles per hour at the time of the accident. “We put the car back together and brought it here to show everyone how well it held up.”

Two–year–old El la Williams enjoys a candy apple at Rooftop Rhythms. Although the driver is okay, the car is another story. It will have to undergo major repairs, according to Anderson, who said the incident hasn’t dimmed his dreams of becoming a famous NASCAR driver. Each race car costs about $30,000 to assemble, and Anderson, a 18–year–old student at Belmont Abbey College, said he is grateful to the city of Forest Acres and his other local sponsors for sticking with him through championships, as well as crashes.

“I was born and raised in Forest Acres, and my dream is to become the first NASCAR driver from the state of South Carolina in 30 years,” Anderson said, talking over the Breakfast Club’s rendition of Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone. “The last ones were David Pearson and Cale Yarborough.”

This year, a portion of the proceeds from the Taste of Forest Acres goes to the Babcock Center, which provides services for people with developmental disabilities, said Kristy Harmon, the center’s marketing director, who was busy working the event at the drinks booth.

According to its website (www.bab-cockcenter. org), the non–profit organization operates 105 facilities and employs more than 1,200 people in the Midlands area.

Rachel Smith, a volunteer with FARMA, said the participating restaurants don’t necessarily make money on the event, but get the opportunity to “put their names out there.”

“The event really helps with name recognition,” Smith said. “It’s getting bigger every year, everyone has fun, and that’s a great thing.”