The parking lot of St. Columban Catholic Church in Yelm will gleam with dozens of bright classic cars and smiles during the sixth annual Coats for Kids Car Show, presented by the Knights of Columbus, on Saturday, June 29.
The show will raise money to purchase new, bright-colored coats for children in the community.
Since the Knights of Columbus began hosting the charity car show in Yelm, the event has funded more than 1,000 coats, including 225 from last year’s show. Knights of Columbus has provided coats to over 1 million children nationwide since the program began in 2009.
This year’s event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 506 First St. S., will include music, raffles, trivia, food, a bake sale and awards for participants’ cars. Trophies include top 10, people’s choice, father’s favorite, Knights’ choice, club participation, most patriotic and long distance. Steele Barrel BBQ, Pizzeria La Gitana and Nisqually Markets donated raffle items to help raise money during the event.
Darren Johnson, the Coats for Kids chairman for the Yelm Knights of Columbus council, said he expects a big turnout this year because of the increase in marketing. Organizers put an ad on the billboard near the Nisqually Markets on Yelm Highway and another at Yelm Cinemas, as well as posts on social media.
“It’s just gotten bigger and bigger. More people are aware of it, and so the more money we raise, the more coats we can buy,” Johnson said.
Johnson said one of the most special aspects about the Coats for Kids Car Show is that all of the coats are brand new, not hand-me-downs. The Yelm Knights of Columbus council will donate coats to All Kids Win and One Net Yelm at its toy drive at Yelm Cinemas during the holiday season. He added that the council is shooting for a goal of 12 cases of coats to give away this year.
“It’s all about watching the smiles on the kids. These low-income families appreciate us putting this on and giving them coats,” Johnson said. “I try to promote this throughout the whole year. It’s all about giving back.”
Johnson said attendees can expect to see a variety of cars, including classic models dating as far back as the 1920s. The majority of cars will be from the 1950s and 1960s and painted in bright colors to match the bright-colored coats children will wear because of it.
“Just come have fun. A lot of young people get to see something they’ve never seen before. We try to make it as much of a family event as we can,” Johnson said.
The registration fee is $20 per vehicle and is payable at the door. Preregistration is also available by mailing contact information and a $20 check to the church address, payable to the Knights of Columbus.
