Spring has sprung, and that means St. Albert’s classic cars have come out of hibernation to raise money for charity.
Thousands of classic car fans will be at the Fountain Tire/Drayden Insurance parking lot on St. Albert Trail this May 26 for the 27th annual Autorama Show and Shine – a free car show organized by the St. Albert Cruisers that also raises money for community causes.
Autorama is one of the first car shows of the Edmonton region each year, said co-organizer Bob Fisher.
“We’re pretty excited to get the classic cars out of the garage.”
This year’s event will feature about 200 cars, trucks and motorcycles dating from the 1930s to today, Fisher said. There will be vendors, raffles, food trucks, a photography contest run by McBain Camera, and a celebrity hula-hoop contest that will feature at least three St. Albert city councillors.
Proceeds from the raffles and entry fees into the car show ($20 per car) will go towards the Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society’s elder abuse program, as they have for the last five years, Fisher said.
Autorama has rallied some $30,000 for SAIF in the last five years, helping the group provide counselling and other support services to prevent family violence, said SAIF executive director Areni Kelleppan. Established in 1988 by Irene Slater and Ann Maksymiw, SAIF now has a staff of seven and helped some 500 families last year throughout St. Albert, Edmonton, and Sturgeon and Parkland County.
Seniors are a growing part of St. Albert’s population and can experience physical, emotional, and financial abuse, Kelleppan said. Anyone who knows a senior they suspect is being abused can call SAIF’s elder abuse team who can arrange help from social services and the police.
Autorama runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this May 26. Call Fisher at 780-718-2257 for details.
