Car club celebrates 40 years
BRAWLEY — La Gente Del Valle Imperial car club on Saturday celebrated 40 years, all of which have been spent serving the community while cruising in style.
However, those who passed by Hidalgo Hall during the celebration event would have no idea of the club’s award-winning rides, as members were instructed to leave their “better halves” at home for the night.
“We told everyone to leave them home because we’re going to have a good time and so we won’t have to worry about the cars,” Club President Antonio Camacho said.
The accomplishments of the Valley-wide club were on display inside with plaques and old photos.
“We’ve had assemblymen come down here and award us with plaques for doing so much service in the community,” club member Martin Zamora said. “We’ve won Eagle One awards two years in a row, which is an award that’s only given in the western region of the United States for clubs that have gotten community work. We’ve gotten the key to the city in practically every city in the Valley already.”
Now boasting six chapters in the state and in Arizona, the original La Gente club began in 1975 in Oxnard.
Two years later in 1979, a local man traveled to Oxnard and brought the name down here, thus creating LG-IV.
La Gente translates to “the people.” Adding “Del Valle Imperial” solidified the club’s commitment to serving the people of the Valley, Camacho explained.
“La Gente started out as bringing a positive image to the low rider community, our culture and still give something back to the community,” he said. “The goal of ours as a car club was to project a positive image in the community and unite the Imperial Valley.”
Since 1979, the club has been anchored by Camacho, Zamora, Rick Rosas and Frank Figueroa, who remain active and were present during Saturday’s celebration.
The four Brawley residents, who were fresh out of high school at the time, started LG-IV in the city as a way to unite their love for fixing up their cars with giving back to the community.
“We were a bunch of teenagers that wanted to start something different,” Zamora said. “We wanted to do something to project to the community that it’s not all about the gangs and all that stuff, because the gangs were pretty hard here in Brawley at the time.”
LG-IV slowly started to attract members from Brawley, Calexico, El Centro and Westmorland. While it now boasts approximately 15 members, not much has changed for the club.
One of its first fundraising events consisted them dressing up in tuxedos, and raising money (a $500 check to a graduating high schooler in Calexico, Brawley and El Centro so they could purchase books at Imperial Valley College) by way of a dance fundraiser at Hidalgo Hall.
Looking around Saturday night inside the hall, Zamora felt nostalgic.
“I mean look at us, we’re in our 50s now, and we’re still around,” he said.
As it continues to host its boxing youth program and annual Christmas toy drive, Zamora said he’s most proud of how LG-IV is raising its next generation.
With parent permission, the club allows youths to become members — but instead of cars, with customized bikes.
Until they are old enough to earn a drivers’ license, the young members are taken under wing by older club members and show how to create a show-worthy ride. One of the objectives is to provide an alternative to a lifestyle that involves vices such as drug use.
“That’s getting bad again here in the Valley,” Zamora said. “And we’ve gotta bunch of kids that would rather put their money into their bikes and their cars than getting involved in that.”