UZRC Plans Car Show

More than 15 years ago, a United Zion Retirement Community (UZRC) resident's love of classic cars inspired the organization's Life Enrichment team to hold a car cruise. The event has become a tradition at UZRC, complete with music, ice cream, and a chance to stroll down memory lane while viewing the vehicles of yesteryear.

The annual UZRC car and motorcycle cruise will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 9, beginning at 6 p.m. at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church (LEFC), 419 Pierson Road, Lititz. Organizers expect more than 200 show vehicles. The cruise is open to all vehicles with a suggested minimum donation, which is discounted for owners who register their vehicles online at http://www.uzrc.org prior to Aug. 9. Proceeds will support benevolent care at UZRC, which assists residents who have exhausted their resources.

To enhance the atmosphere at the show, musical entertainment will be provided by DJ Bob Rudy, who will focus on tunes involving vehicles, and food trucks will be present, including Bricker's Famous French Fires; Rad-ish Food Truck, which will offer dinner items and treats; and Lickity Split Ice Cream.

To keep things interesting for owners of vintage vehicles, goodie bags and dash plaques will be provided to the first 100 registered cars, and plaques and certificates will be awarded in more than 20 categories, including best accessory, best paint, best restoration, best racing car, best interior, and best motorcycle. Local celebrity judges will include Lititz Mayor Tim Snyder, Rich Shoemaker of Paul Risk Construction, Scott High of High Sports, and UZRC's own CEO, Sue Verdegem.

Originally, the car show was held at UZRC, but a few years ago, the event outgrew the venue and moved to LEFC. Now, UZRC transports residents to the event. "We always have residents looking for a favorite car - sometimes from their childhood or teenage years," said Megan Weiss, director of marketing and development at UZRC. "A visit to the car cruise often gets residents sharing all sorts of vehicle stories." Weiss noted that at a recent show, Zach Sounders, director of Life Enrichment at UZRC, helped a resident hunt for a 1955 Chevy Belair. "(The resident's) son wanted to purchase one," explained Weiss, who stated that while many Bel Airs were found, a 1955 model remained elusive.

When a rise in pandemic numbers made it difficult to take residents to the show, Weiss reported that UZRC personnel worked to find creative ways to accomplish that. "Sounders gave a special tour of the cruise to a resident named Bill in one of the United Zion vehicles," recalled Weiss. "Bill was thrilled to see his favorite car, the Model T, while eating ice cream from Lickity Split. (Sounders) enjoyed seeing Bill smile as COVID-19 restrictions had been a real hardship for residents."

In the case of inclement weather, updates will be posted on the UZRC website and on Facebook by searching for "United Zion Retirement Community." The rain date for the event is Thursday, Aug. 11.