Car show set for Saturday at Hamblin Park

Cal Tatum, Herald Sports Editor
Posted 8/1/17

22nd annual car show is Aug. 5

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Car show set for Saturday at Hamblin Park

Posted

The Evanston Car Cruise Club will hold their annual car show Saturday at Hamblin Park, from 10 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.

For 22 years the Evanston Car Cruise Club has put on its annual car show at Hamblin Park, and each year the proceeds help local charitable causes. The summer car show has used their proceeds to purchase winter coats and boots for local children from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The spring show, held at the Machine Shop, raised $2,400 to help SAFV (Sexual Assault and Family Violence), which work diligently to provide assistance to those who have been victimized.

This year’s charity car show will, once again, feature disc jockey J.C. Hackett and his Rock-N-Roll Racket, who will be rocking all day long.

The Evanston Car Cruise Club has a long history of benefiting local charities while enjoying building and showing classic cars.

The Evanston Car Cruise Club started in 1988 when four hot rod enthusiasts started talking about forming a car club. There are many people in Uinta County who have the ability and desire to restore and build classic cars and it seemed like a good idea. In July of 1988 they started Small Town Toys with just five members, Ray Landry, Cole Deister, Steve Follet, Russ Easton and Rick Ludwig. Their idea was for everyone to get together, along with their spouses, and share ideas and skills to build their street rods, go cruising, go to car shows and just enjoy each other’s company.

New potential members were nominated by charter members and then voted on by the group after a “get to know you” period. 

The members spent the cold winter months working with each other to build their cars in each other’s shops and they found themselves getting together for holiday parties. They built a strong bond.

In one of the winter meetings, Gordon Marrs proposed holding a car show to raise funds for the Special Olympics and that is when the annual Evanston car show began in the summer of 1989.

In the mid-1990s, the late Gary Harvey, who was working at a local car dealership, really enjoyed the close-knit group and their cars. He worked with the club to help start a car show with food and awards at the dealership each spring.

The club was dissolved soon afterwards due to some internal issues that needed to be addressed and Harvey, along with Russ Easton, made some minor changes and new life was breathed into the club in 1996. 

The re-born car club held two car shows with help from many local people. They incorporated and acquired a 501 (C)3 IRS classification, thanks to the work of club member Cheila Hockett. With the support of Jim Davis of the Urban Renewal committee and Dennis Poppinga from Evanston Parks and Recreation, the new Evansont Car Cruise club was able to have a location for meetings and secured the use of Hamblin Park for the annual car show.

Since the incorporation of the Evanston Car Cruise Club their mission is to provide new winter shoes and coats to Evanston school children. 

The club members volunteer their time to take the children shopping. They do not receive any compensation for their efforts. 

Since 1996, the Evanston Car Cruise club has spent more than $61,000 on this charity.