Bethesda Place hosts heartwarming car show

A personal care home in Steinbach hosted the Country Classics Car Club for a special car show on Wednesday evening.

Antique vehicles took over the staff parking lot at Bethesda Place.

Recreation Coordinator Sheryl Harder says it’s important for the residents to have easy access to events and activities. 

They brought out a cart with cupcakes and drinks which only added to the party atmosphere in the parking lot. 

Harder says events like the car show bring joy and energy to the home. 

“We want to start taking residents swimming, to the football games, do activities like this, even have a bonfire in the evenings.”  

During the car show, there was a very touching moment when a motorcycle roared to life next to the personal care home, near the window of a resident who was unable to come outside but still wanted to hear the rumble of the machine. 

Harder says this was a powerful gesture that meant a lot to the resident and their family. 

This 1932 Ford Coupe was one of several antique vehicles that took over the staff parking lot at Bethesda Place for a special car show.

Bob Giesbrecht brought his 1932 Ford Coupe and tells us what is special about it. 

“The early 30’s Fords have a special spot on my heart,” he says. “My dad was a ‘32 model, maybe that’s part of it, I'm not sure. This particular model, the 3-window, has ‘suicide doors’ which I think is kind of cool.” 

The polite term is ‘coach doors.’ 

Backward-hinged doors have been around as long as automobiles have had doors, for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Concerns about the safety of suicide doors (especially with the seat-belt-less vehicles of the mid 20th century) caused their decline—and their morbid nickname. - motortrend.com 

The Country Classics Car Club was invited to put on a car show, especially for residents at Bethesda Place.

Sandra Kihn is on the Executive for the car club. 

“You often hear, ‘Oh, my brother had one of those,’ or ‘My dad used to have one of those, but in a different colour.’ And it's something to talk about for them, and it's just bringing back memories for them.” 

The Country Classics Car Club will tour a few personal care homes this summer, setting up mini car shows in their parking lots. 

There were many memories to share at the car show at Bethesda Place.