Car clubs in Kamloops planning ‘moving car show’ for isolated Kamloops seniors

Hot rods and vintage cars will be on display throughout Kamloops next week as part of an innovative car show in a time of social distancing protocols.

Ron Popove usually puts on the annual Hot Nite in the City event, but the uncertainty surrounding this year’s event given the COVID-19 pandemic led him and other vintage car owners to come up with a “moving car show.”

“We were asked by the seniors’ homes to do something for them,” Popove says. “The seniors, believe it or not, have been tied down for about six months because winter came and they stayed put and now they’ve been hit by a virus so they’ve been pretty well in isolation for six months.”

Popove says members of the Roadmen Car Club, Kamloops Street Rod Association, Pharoahs Car Club and the Kamloops Car Scene members will take part in the event, although the participants will be split into two groups.

The drivers will begin at the Valleyview A&W and the A&W on the North Shore. He says a more detailed schedule, a map of the route and all the included seniors’ homes will be released soon.

“(Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry) says we can’t have more than 50 cars so that’s why we’re having the two locations,” Popove says.

For now, he expects there will be a handful of residences visited, such Berwick on the Park, the Residence at Orchards Walk and Kamloops Seniors Village. A second event is expected to take place to drive by some of the other seniors' residences that can't be visited due to time constraints.

“We picked five or six and I’ve talked to some of the people from the other car clubs and they’re willing to do this again in a month or three weeks or so and we can tag on the ones we didn’t hit… as long as Interior Health doesn’t shut us down or bylaw or the RCMP.”

The event will take place on June 3 and begin at 6 p.m. at both A&W locations. Those who want to get involved with a vehicle in the parade can reach out to Popove by sending him an email through the Hot Nite in the City webpage here.

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