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Appreciation Cruise thru La Harpe August 1st Is Set To Honor Organizers for 20 Years of Excellent Classic Car Show Reunions
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Some good news for La Harpe and car enthusiasts came this week.
After the Corona Virus and Park District insurance issues forced Ken Brown, Bob Lionberger and other organizers of the event to cancel the annual LA HARPE CLASSIC CAR SHOW REUNION, two Iowa "Car Guys" got their heads together to see what they could do.
Bryan Brown of Mediapolis, IA and Chad Schneider of Fort Madison, IA had attended the event since its beginning twenty years ago, and just couldn't phantom not having this great event.
"We feel due to us attending this show since we were both youngins, we want to still keep it going with this appreciation cruise. It's been a top 3 favorite show of ours forever and to not be able to have it is heartbreaking," Chad Schneider posted on his Facebook.
Schneider and Bryan Brown are asking everyone who cares about the car show to "please join us to bring the cars back to this little town anyways! Go through the nursing home and bring donations to the Honor Flight" which will be at the city park's Veterans Memorial.
The guys wanted to show their appreciation in some way to La Harpe and all the organizers and volunteers of this event:.. thus An Appreciation Cruse on the same date was organized by the two men, calling car clubs around.
Ken Brown said he was overwhelmed by the gesture. "This would have been our 21st car show. Preparation for the car show starts in January," he said, "and I already had several hundred dollars of pre-entry and sponsorship money sent to me.
When the Corona Virus became a big issue, I was having some anxiety and lots of pressure on what to do. "It was not the Park District Board's fault, he said, But we have a lot of cars that come from the Chicago area and the insurance company was concerned about the liability if someone got someone sick.
Ken didn't want that responsibility either, or put the Park District in that situation. It seemed better to cancel the event for this year.
The Maple City Cruise Night in Monmouth was cancelled which is always the night before La Harpe's and the Macomb car show, which is always held the same evening of La Harpe's has been cancelled. The Nauvoo car show, which is held a month later in September, is still on.
Ken said he is happy the APPRECIATION CRUISE is planning on collecting for the Honor Flight, something he feels strongly about to honor all veterans.
After this year's car show was cancelled, Ken said, "I called all those who had prepaid and offered refunds for their entry fees and sponsorships and they all said to keep it and give it to the Honor Flight, so several hundred dollars was sent to the Honor Flight.
Since the car show was canceled, Brown announced that they could still contribute to the flight and he has already collected and given a $1,000 check to the Flight.
Brown, a veteran, finally was able to go on Quincy's Honor Flight last September, its 50th Flight. His daughter Jolyn Brown Whitman was his guardian. He said it was such an amazing experience and to his surprise, they asked him to stand up on the flight to Washington, D.C. and said, through the car show, Brown had handed them over $10,000 which was helping veterans to take this memorable trip.
Ken said that he was overwhelmed with the whole experience and overwhelmed with the APPRECIATION CRUISE being held on that day in honor of the LA HARPE CLASSIC CAR SHOW REUNION.
Ken has had some stents in his heart and had some issues with them and doctors have told him to rest, stay away from the virus. He, is so thankful, as is the car show organizers, that area friends are cruising into town.
On August 1st, the first Saturday in August, instead of the annual car show, over 100 cars (thus far) will line up at the edge of town and be escorted into town by police, drive by the La Harpe Davier Nursing home, on to the Veterans Memorial at the La Harpe City Park where veterans will collect money for the HONOR FLIGHT. Cruisers will be staying in their cars-at this writing. Hopefully those in the nursing home will be able to get outside and see all the old relics as they drive by the nursing home.
Hopefully the community will line the streets for the Appreciation Cruise from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 1st, rain or shine.
("THANK YOU" to Ken Brown, Bob Lionberger, Jerry Burford, Darrell Kraft, and their team of Volunteers, for your diligence and big hearts in bringing an exciting car show to La Harpe for 20 years. We hope to see you back next year.)
Ken Brown La Harpe with daughter Jolyn Brown Whitman of Blandinsville, his guardian on the 50th Quincy Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Sept. 2019.
Kenny Brown and other veterans in Sept. 2019 at the Veterans Memorial in Washington DC on the 50th Honor Flight for veterans out of Quincy.