Published: August 25, 2008 02:05 pm         

Car club holds cruise-ins all summer

The Christian Freewheelers Car Club holds or attends cruise-ins on Monday in Elkhart, Tuesday in White Pigeon, Wednesday at Simonton Lake, Thursdays at Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Middlebury, and Fridays at Maple City Chapel, Goshen.

According to event organizer and Freewheeler Kenny Spurlock, the group has been meeting at the chapel for five years, with up to 50 cars showing up each time.

“We had 25 last week,” Spurlock said at an Aug. 15 event. “Gas prices have hurt our numbers some.”

Each cruise-in offers door prizes provided by sponsors Promotor, Jenkin’s Napa Auto Parts, Taco Time, Advance Auto, Lux Cafe and McDonald’s.

“We had live music once, and it got a real good reaction. We plan to do it again sometime soon if possible,” Spurlock said.

Spurlock is all smiles at the events, happy to be in his element. He takes his 1960 Ford and his 1962 Ford Galaxy 500XL convertible, which he restored in 1996 and 2006, respectively

“I like looking at all the different cars and meeting the people. There’s a lot of good fellows,” he said, adding that “everybody has a story about their car or their favorite car.”

The cruise-ins are held all summer, starting the week after a spring event held in Syracuse and ending when it starts to get cold, usually around the end of September.