What started as an idea 50 years ago to showcase hot rods and sweet rides has grown to much more than that with members of the Newmarket Car Club giving back to the community in a big way over the years.
The club is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a not-for-profit organization this year with an anniversary bash on Aug. 17 at the Newmarket Legion at 707 Srigley St. from 5 to 10 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and are available at the door, and include a silent auction, raffles, prizes, food, music, and a dance floor.
“It has been a dream,” said club president Dan Arnold. “Everybody has a dream and for most people, it’s their vehicle. When you’re a kid and a young person with a hot rod, or mom and dad would have that car, it brings back a lot of memories.”
The club started when Arnold's brother, Gord, shared the idea with him and a few other that they could gather like-minded car fans to start a club. They ended up having members from Tottenham to Orillia.
“I joined the Newmarket Car Club a day after it was formed and have been the president for 36 years,” said Arnold. “We met so many good people over the years and have done so much with kids and seniors. It has been fun, a lot of fun.”
Members of the group have a variety of cars. Arnold drives a 1970 Chevrolet Nova, Stony Stoneburg drives a 1962 street-legal dune buggy, Michael Walker, vice-president, has a 1946 Mercury Rat Rod and Lorne Foster has a 1930 Chevrolet Coupe. They had hosted car shows, demolition derbies and attended drag strips in the past five decades.
“When you can get a car, fix it up and make it your car the way you want, and take it and show it off to places, it brings self-pride,” said Walker. “My car, when I got it, it was just a body. There was no frame, no front end, no nothing. No interior and now it’s running eight years later.”
While the focus of the club is its cars, it has been well known for giving back to the community, particularly with the Newmarket Food Pantry, Town of Newmarket’s WinterFest, Southlake Regional Health Centre and Newmarket Minor Hockey through fundraising and sponsorship of events.
“Anybody can go set up a car show, but not everyone can help people and give them something they want," said Arnold.
"You don’t have to have 500 or 600 members to be active in a town. You just need people that care.”
The club was formed in 1974. The 16 members at the time would hang out at a member's home or in the parking lot where Giant Tiger currently is on Davis Drive. It featured car enthusiasts as young as 19 to 80 years old.
“We’re like a family,” said Walker. “All the members are like brothers. Ninety per cent of us have cars, and we go to car shows together. We put on our own car shows. We enjoy working with cars. That is the idea of the club. For car enthusiasts to be a part of it.”
The club will also host a customs and classics car show at Fairy Lake on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A rain date is scheduled for Sept. 7. Participants can show off their cars at the event for $10. Awards will be presented for the best vehicle. There will be draw prices and 50/50 draws.
“You don’t need to have a million-dollar car,” said Arnold. “We like to see somebody do work on their own instead and feel good that they did it. They are the ones that spend money and time. We’re not saying you have to have a hot rod to be in it, we would like the interest from people with different ideas.”
Contact [email protected] for more details.
— With files from Natasha Philpott
