Valley Nazarene reaching out with car show

Spokane Valley Nazarene is launching a new community event Sunday that will have a little something for everyone. Valley Cruz ’09 is the place to be for a display of cars, trucks and motorcycles from noon to 4 p.m.

There also will be a free barbecue, music, a “valve cover” race, lasso golf, volleyball and other games. The fire and police departments also will be there with vehicles and displays. Organizer Bob Gehres is calling it a “giant car show/picnic/tailgate party.”

The church has had an annual picnic for years, but church members realized that the event didn’t do much for community outreach, Gehres said. They decided they should do a community event instead. “It really began to sink in,” he said.

The idea for a car show came about partly because the area has a high number of car collector clubs and because Gehres himself has 40 years of experience in building hot rods and street rods. The show is an invitational and will include everything from classics to hot rods to muscle cars.

It’s the first Valley Cruz, so organizers are not sure what kind of turnout to expect. Based on interest from local car collectors, though, Gehres is predicting a well-attended event “as long as the weather gives us half a chance.”

The church, located at Sullivan Road and 20th Avenue, will host a single worship service before the event at 10:30 a.m.