The Kiwanis Club of Queen Creek is hosting its 15th Annual Christmas Car Show and Toy Drive this Saturday to benefit local families in need through the Queen Creek Unified School District Family Resource Center.
“This annual car show and toy drive is a collaboration between the Kiwanis Club and the East Valley Firefighter Charities (that support local charity needs)," said Queen Creek Fire and Medical Department Fire Chief Vance Gray. "Our department looks forward to seeing a great turnout and collecting lots of toys that will make the holidays special and memorable for so many children in our community."
The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 16, with entries setting up from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Desert Mountain Park, located in Queen Creek at 22201 S. Hawes Road.
This vintage, classic and collectible vehicle show benefits less fortunate children in the area with toys for Christmas. All cars, trucks, motorcycles and specialty vehicles are welcome to enter. Registration is a $20 donation, along with an unwrapped toy for a boy and a girl. Plaques will be awarded to entrants.
As always, spectators are asked to bring unwrapped toys for either boys or girls to the free community event. There will be a 50/50 raffle with prizes and food vendors.
"This show is not your typical car show, it's also a great way to give back to the community and we're trying to incorporate more kids' stuff," Kiwanis member and past president Jon Morris said. "It is a pleasure to assist in putting this on each year. Proceeds from the show will go to the youth training program for future firefighters and EMT personnel and other Kiwanis charities, some of which include giving toys to children during the holidays and providing educational needs to families through the family resource center, as well as providing future firefighters and EMT's through the Queen Creek Fire and Medical cadet youth training program."
Morris, who has been a Queen Creek Kiwanis since 2015, said the event started in "about 2018 when we were approached by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, who was our police provider at the time, to assist them in putting on this car show. So it started as a positive outreach effort. Then when the Queen Creek Police Department started (in 2022), we looped them in to continue to integrate with Queen Creek Fire and Medical, who has been so supportive, as we continue with the Queen Creek Family Resource Center in providing toys for kids whose parents can't afford a Christmas.
"The resource center also provides educational services to both kids and adults and a lot of people don't know about them, so we're trying to bring awareness to what they do year-round. We help them put together food boxes for Thanksgiving and we do a back-to-school drive," Morris continued. "They're always trying to help local families who are trying to build themselves up and help them find jobs. Then, the cadet youth training program helps those who want to go into the police and fire fields, so we provide them with funds for that program. All proceeds from the car show goes to fund these programs."
Online registration and payment can be made HERE. For more information, call 480-272-3705 or email [email protected].
