Bonnyville Centralized High School (BCHS) students have the chance to show off their wheels at the school’s first car show.
Vehicles of all makes and models will fill the student parking lot during the inaugural show and shine on Wednesday, June 5.
Grade 10 student Kayden Koluk is looking forward to displaying his 1998 Chevy truck.
”I’m pretty excited, because it’s something different, and I’ve never seen a school do this before,” he exclaimed.
After participating in car shows when she was younger, BCHS teacher Lorelei Gertz-Cummins organized the event to give students the opportunity to come together and display their cars.
”A lot of students take a lot of pride in their vehicles, and I thought this might be a fun way to get people out,” explained Gertz-Cummins. “There are some students who aren’t into sports, and there are some students who aren’t really into drama or art, but we don’t have a mechanics program here on a larger scale, so I thought this was a nice way to involve some of those kids who don’t always necessarily have a group that they belong to at the school.”
Grade 11 student Meagan Desmarais helped with registration. She noted a few who have signed up have entire social media pages dedicated to their vehicles.
”There’s a lot of people that really do enjoy driving their cars, and showing it off.”
Kicking off at 6 p.m., participants will be competing in categories such as cleanest interior/exterior, loudest, cringy beater, and hot rod.
So far, roughly a dozen students have claimed a spot in the show.
”I’m glad that people are doing this,” expressed Erin Anderson, Grade 11 student and volunteer. “Yes, it’s different, but it’s also something fun and something where they can be confident about what they like and enjoy.”
For a small fee, attendees will have the chance to vote for people’s choice, with all of the proceeds raised being donated to the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA).
”(The show and shine) is a good way to showcase the need for helping out the fire department. They do attend so many motor vehicle collisions, and they can always use a hand with additional equipment or whatever it is they decide to spend the funds on,” Gertz-Cummins explained, adding the BRFA will have a vintage and newer truck on display.
Gertz-Cummins encouraged anyone interested to stop by. The event is open to the public, with the winners being announced around 7:45 p.m.
”Come support the students, put some smiles on their faces, make them feel important, and help them achieve a sense of pride for their belongings and hard work that they put into their vehicles.”
