Masons mix charity and cars at show

[Sir.Mike]

In a city where classic cars and hot rods reign supreme, it’s not
uncommon to see a car show sprout up nearly every weekend during the
summer in Burbank.

For car enthusiast Jeff Lindstrom, harnessing Burbank’s love of cars
for a charitable cause was a no-brainer.

On Saturday, he and his colleagues at the Masonic Lodge on Irving
Street held their slightly larger second annual car show to support
Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international network of Free
Mason-supported medical facilities that offer free specialty care for
children.

Between 75 and 100 classic cars and hot rods were expected to fill the
lodge’s parking lot as onlookers strolled to live music and admired
the shiny hobbies of local enthusiasts.

Lindstrom said he expected to raise a little more than the $1,500 that
the event made last year through car registrations. He and other Free
Mason volunteers plan to grow the annual event in coming years as word
of the show spreads through the motoring community.

Until then, the car show remains a small, community-oriented event,
with a single overall competition category.

“As we get bigger, we’ll expand the awards,” Lindstrom said.

Organizers have also deployed enticements to draw more entrants, like
free lunch and a goodie bag for registrants.

“We try to give back to them and thank them for their support,”
Lindstrom said.

He may also change the date to escape the shadow of the bigger, more
competitive car shows. The world-renowned Pebble Beach Concours
D’Elegance classic car show was on Sunday, which preempted famed car
enthusiast Jay Leno’s attendance at the Masonic Lodge, organizers
said.

And hundreds of car collectors are preparing for Burbank’s Be Boppin’
in the Park vintage car show and festival Saturday on Magnolia Avenue.
Last year, the event attracted thousands of people from throughout the
Southland and more than 200 exhibitors.

Those shows are all well and good, but for those car enthusiasts who
just want to meet up and share their hobby, community shows like the
one on Saturday is the perfect pitch, participant Steve Gallegos said
as he stood by his 1965 Shelby Cobra replica.

“It’s a lot of fun to get out there and talk engines,” he said.

From a polished, vintage Jaguar to a 1953 Chevrolet pickup, the rows
of cars parked behind the Masonic Lodge offered people a varied
sampling of the local classic car stock.

“I think it’s great that they do this,” said Marsha Nolan, who lives
near the lodge.

“I think it’s a great cause, and I love dreaming about my hair blowing
in the wind in some of these cars.”

[Sir.Mike]