CARS4COVID PARADES HONOUR FRONT-LINERS
‘Rolling car shows’ raise money, and spirits, and are starting up across British Columbia
Dave Warfield put fire department decals on his fire engine-red 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon to go for a Friday night ride. His wants to “blow the dust off” his classic ride and show support for those working on the front lines to fight the coronavirus pandemic. His destination is the Cars4Covid cruise. This is the third time he’s brought his car out for similar cruises since the COVID-19 lockdown began. The first two were to Surrey Memorial Hospital and Burnaby General Hospital.
On this Friday evening, he joins about 100 other car owners in the parking lot of the Port Moody Recreation Centre. There is a wide range of vehicles on display, from a Lamborghini Superleggera to a spectacular 1933 Packard Phaeton driven by Coquitlam’s Fred Bonin. This is a car show with social distancing. The cars are parked well apart. Owners either stay in their cars or sit on garden chairs at least three metres apart. As 7 p.m. approaches, engines start and a lineup of cars assembles behind a Port Moody police cruiser.
Randy Zach has driven his 1930 Ford Model A coupe hot rod from Surrey to attend the Cars4Covid cruise.
“I get out with the boys and support the front-line workers,” he says. “A couple of nurses live on my block and I always give them a honk with the ‘oooga’ horn.”
At precisely 7 p.m. — as many people bang pots and pans, blow horns and cheer the emergency and health-care workers who are risking their lives to help others through the pandemic — the procession of cars turns into Eagle Ridge Hospital. Led by Port Moody fire trucks with sirens blaring, the procession of cars drives past the emergency entrance. A dozen hospital employees in their scrubs stand outside to watch the parade of
vehicles, many of them classic and special-interest vehicles.
“We encourage anybody to take part, no matter what they drive,” says Cars4Covid Lower Mainland organizer Christian Reis, whose mother is a nurse. “People think this is only for classic cars but it’s not. People can drive whatever they want. This is to drive by the hospitals to show appreciation for health-care workers.”
Reis is working with Victoria’s Mark Ferris, Matthew James and Chris Thibert in Nanaimo, and Erik Vierstra in Courtenay to organize similar Cars4Covid cruises to local hospitals in their communities. The idea
is expanding with Victoria musician and car enthusiast Mark Ferris organizing the first Cowichan Valley cruise event.
Money is raised from donations for Cars4Covid windshield decals. More than $6,000 has been given to the Vancouver General Hospital COVID-19 response charity.
Instructions for local cruises are handled through social media and local car clubs. For more information on future events visit facebook.com/cars4covid/