The Rotary Club of Glendale Noon held its 6th annual Cars for Cops & Kids Car Show fundraiser on June 4 at Verdugo Park in Glendale, raising more than $70,000 for at-risk youth thanks to its presenting sponsors, Pacific BMW and Adventist Health Glendale, and more than 40 other local business sponsors.
The donations through the Glendale
Police Department, Glendale Parks and Recreation, and the Glendale Unified School District have been earmarked for at-risk youth programs including TAPPs, Glendale Police Teen Academy, Healthy Families and many others.
At the park, more than 200 cars were on display, parked on the grass and in the shade under the sycamore trees, and 40 trophies were awarded for Best Exotic, Best American Classic, Best European Classic, Best Off-Road and more.
Notable attendees, who awarded their favorite cars, included Mayor Dan Brotman, Councilwoman Paula Devine, Police Chief Manuel Cid and Fire Chief Timothy Ernst.
Dozens of police officers and firefighters who gave tours of SWAT cars and fire engines to families and their children.
The event featured a beer garden hosted by the Dad’s Club of Verdugo Woodlands Elementary, with beers from Brewyard and wines from Eight Wine Eight, both Glendale-based businesses.
The Boys Scouts of America Verdugo Hills Council also held their Pinewood Derby at the car show.
The Cars for Cops & Kids Car Show was organized by the Rotary Club of Glendale Noon’s Edwin Voskanian and Lt. Patrick Magtoto, who co-chaired the project and were assisted by dozens of club volunteers and the community. Since 2017, this event has raised more than $295,000.
“I’ve been volunteering my time designing all of the graphics and marketing for the Cars for Cops & Kids Car Show since 2017, and it’s something I look forward to every June,” said Art Markarian, a volunteer Rotarian. “Watching our annual car show grow each year and knowing it has raised hundreds of thousands for the vital at-risk youth programs in our community has been a truly fulfilling experience.”
Voskanian added: “We are so thankful to our sponsors including Pacific BMW and Adventist Health Glendale, thankful to all the car registrants and, lastly, all the Rotarians of the Glendale Rotary Noon Club who contributed to this year‘s massive success.”
For more than 100 years, the Rotary Club of Glendale Noon has been providing support and assistance to various organizations and individuals within the community. For more information on the club, visit glendalerotary.com.
First published in the June 10 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
