As everyone practices good social distancing, spirits are undoubtedly starting to fall as finances wear thin. At the same time, healthcare workers are having a hard time securing enough protective equipment to stay safe on the job. Upon taking notice of these difficulties, the collector car community has stepped up to help everyone cope with the changes. Their efforts have gone a long way in easing the many challenges that have cropped up in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lifting Spirits with Car Show Parades
In the past month, collector car enthusiasts have organized several car show parades to lift spirits and show their gratitude to front-line healthcare workers. While respecting social distancing guidelines, enthusiasts brought together over 50 breathtaking vehicles to rumble through the Windsor, Ontario cityscape. Then, they did it all over again with 100 collector cars showing up the second time around.
Enthusiasts in British Columbia caught wind of the event and organized several cruises of their own. On alternating Saturdays, starting April 18th, they cruise past the local hospitals to show off all their muscle cars, exotics, and everything in between. Dubbed “Cars 4 COVID,” these weekend cruises not only hope to generate a lot of smiles but also raise money for much-needed masks and other protective equipment for healthcare workers.
Our friends at Highway 11 Cruisers also planned a classic car parade in support of Southlake Regional Health Centre and its essential frontline health workers in Newmarket and surrounding areas.
Donating Much-Needed Gloves
As car clubs are making waves and helping secure equipment for healthcare workers, solitary automotive enthusiasts are hard at work as well. While training as an up-and-coming auto tech, 14-year-old Audra Brown was inspired to find a way to donate gloves to local healthcare workers in need of protective equipment. He decided to wash and reuse his gloves to donate as many as possible from his own stockpile.
Then, he went above and beyond by reaching out to his sponsors for donations as well. Upon acquiring those donations, he shared the distribution of those supplies to the hospital, asking others to join in on the effort. By starting with just one small contribution, Brown is showing the power of the collector car community helping essential workers stay safe on the job.
Hosting Virtual Cars & Coffee Meetups
In order to help everyone stay social and build connections across the collector car community, Peterson Automotive Museum has transformed their cars and coffee meetup into a virtual event. People from all over the world can now participate by entering their cars in the show and see what enthusiasts have been up to while in quarantine.
Participants just have to send in a video of their car to have uploaded into a fun compilation. Attendees can then view the cars live on May 10th by heading over to their YouTube channel. During the event, viewers can vote on their favourite rides and show judges will look for the top contenders for the Best in Show and Petersen Perfection awards.
Raising Money for Food Banks
Inspired by all the ways the collector car community is helping during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to contribute as well. For every email address we receive, we are donating $1 to Food Banks Canada’s COVID-10 Response Fund. Once the pandemic is over, we will select one participant who provided their email and donate $250 to their charity of choice.
With the collector car community helping in every way imaginable, they are making it easier on everyone whether they are serving as an essential worker or doing their part by staying safe at home. They are also acting as an inspiration to us all as we look toward ways to help people cope with the changes that are affecting all of our communities.