ELKS LODGE CAR AND MOTORCYCLE SHOW

Santa Clarita Elks Lodge Hosts Car and Motorcycle Show

PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

By Rylee Holwager

Signal Staff Writer

The Santa Clarita Elks Lodge hosted its eighth annual car and motorcycle show to raise money for a variety of local charities and disabled children. The event also featured a chili cook-off, boutique, raffle, live band CATCH 22 and a variety of food and drinks.

Shelly Tomson, committee chairperson for the show, said the show grew out of a much more modest effort.

“We actually had one and it turned out really little and this girl who had left had it,” said Tomson. “I said, ‘You know what, I’m gonna make this big,’ and I got a lot of people involved and I made it big.”

Tomson accomplished what she set out to do. The show now attracts a wider range of people, including those seeking to be involved in the show as a means of community outreach.

Santa Clarita Young Marines Commanding Officer Tim Stratton brought the Young Marines out as a way to connect to their community through community service. The Young Marines worked as volunteers throughout the event helping set up booths, serve chili, selling tickets and helping take down booths at the event’s conclusion.

The glamor and main attraction of the event came from the cars and motorcycles.

Cars throughout the decades were featured at the show including a 1956 Ford F-100, 1969 Chevy Corvette, 2008 Lotus Exige 5240 and a 1963 Peterbilt.

The owner of the Peterbilt semi was Jerry Salinas, a Santa Clarita resident of 71 years.

Salians has owned the Peterbilt for the last 20 years, and he used its restoration as a way of keeping him entertained in retirement.

“I always wanted something to do when I retired,” said Salinas. So he has dedicated two years of his time to restoring the Peterbilt.

“I’m not married. I’m married to this thing,” said Salinas.

Toward the end of the show, chili cook-off winners were announced and awarded in the categories of “Hottest Chili” and “Best Chili.” The crowd also voted for their favorite to be awarded with the “People’s Choice” trophy.

Mayor Laurene Weste presented trophies to the car show winners, who were chosen by the lodge’s judges. The categories were best car in show, mayor’s choice, best lowrider, best classic, hottest car, best paint and most likely to be pulled over.

Motorcyclists were awarded with trophies for best paint, most fun between your legs and best motorcycle in show.

Mike Fisher, exalted ruler of Santa Clarita Elks, said that the majority of the funds raised from this event will be going toward their partnership with the California Hawaii Elks Association to provide therapists to disabled children in Northern California.

Last year, the SCV Elks partnership with CHEA resulted in a total of $4.5 million being raised.

In addition to CHEA, funds raised will also be distributed among local charities to provide aid to the community.

“We’re basically dedicated to charity,” said Fisher. “Our motto is ‘Charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity.” 