When it rolls into town, the souped-up truck known as the Raminator makes quite an appearance.

It stands at least 10 feet high atop tires that are only slightly smaller than a compact car and it has a loud engine capable of generating 2,000 horsepower.

With statistics like that, it is no surprise that this mechanical monster can reduce other vehicles to scrap metal during a car crushing show.

What is less obvious is that with the guidance of a community-minded, family-owned car dealership, the Raminator can be a force for good. That is exactly what happened this past weekend.

Shimkat Motor Co. sponsored an appearance by the Raminator as part of the festivities commemorating the dealership’s 75th anniversary. The behemoth’s visit was nicely timed to coincide with Frontier Days.

The Raminator’s presence helped bring people together for Frontier Days. Thousands of people saw it rumble down Central Avenue during the parade, and took rides on it on the Iowa Central Community College campus, right next to the Fort Museum and Frontier Village where the main events of Frontier Days were taking place. The rides proved so popular that the Raminator crew kept giving them long after the scheduled time was up. The rides were scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but went on for three more hours after the scheduled end time.

Thousands of people gathered to watch the Raminator squash a row of junk cars by driving over them. When the destruction was done, that crowd headed over to the Fort Museum and Frontier Village, creating one of the longest lines at the entrance to an event that had been seen here in a long time.

The Raminator had another, longer lasting impact. Its presence led to financial contributions to the Iowa Central Community College Foundation and the Fort Museum. Each received $1,000.

Freewill donations had been accepted for Raminator rides. Those donations were to be split between the foundation and the fort. But then the Shimkat family decided to double the gift. The end result was $1,000 for the fort and $1,000 for the foundation. Those are two organizations that deserve that kind of support.

A lot of good was achieved Saturday and a big, noisy monster truck was at the heart of it all.