After a long cold Canadian winter, there are a lot of creatures that come out of hibernation to enjoy the nurturing heat and glorious sunshine of a Canadian summer. One of the wildest groups to emerge are the classic car owners, who like to spend their weekends travelling the circuit and showcasing their rare makes and models of hot rod cars, trucks, and other unique vehicles.
One of the biggest car shows slated for the area is the Bourgeois Auto Group Charity Car Show, which returns after a super-successful inaugural event in 2023. According to Adam Bourgeois, the car show is both a great way to bring the community together and a way to honour a former employee.
“They approached me about doing a car show and I thought it would be a wonderful way to give something back to our community,” said Bourgeois, whose dealership is celebrating its 80th year in business. “For the fundraising we set up a charity account through the We Are The Villagers organization in honour of Rafe O’Connor. Rafe was our General Manager and he passed away suddenly while on a family vacation in 2022. He had such a big personality and was beloved by all the staff. He was always the centre of fun, games and many jokes at the dealership. It was a big loss for his family and all that were used to hearing his larger-than-life laugh
The mission of We Are The Villagers is to help families and their children participate in extracurricular activities of interest to them. Whether sports, music, art or other special interests, they sponsor children in need so that they may take part in these activities without being restricted by registration fees and equipment costs. The fund set up by Bourgeois will provide an ongoing charitable endowment to provide funds for local children through We Are the Villagers.
“All proceeds from the raffle, the 50/50 and BBQ help at the car shows go to support the Rafe O-Connor Children's Fund,” said Bourgeois. “It’s going to be a great event. We partner with many of the local car clubs. These people are very proud of their cars and they’re not a lot of places they can go to do that.”
To ensure they have a venue large enough to accommodate the cars and the crowds, the Bourgeois group clears all their inventory off their lot in preparation for the July 6th event, which runs from 11am until 3pm. This free event is open to the public and open to all makes and models, new or old, modified or stock. Food and drink will be available for purchase with all of the proceeds going to the Rafe O'Connor Children's Fund. Donations will be accepted at the gate for those wishing to contribute to the fund.
To learn more about We Are The Villagers, visit them online here. View more information on the Bourgeois Auto Group Charity Car Show online here.