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A Boss 302 Mustang is on display during the Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter's Car and Bike Show held last year in Clarks. The third annual event will be held in Columbus this weekend.
Visitors take a glance at the different vehicles on display during the Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter Car and Bike Show held last year. This year's event will be held on Sept. 11 at the Nebraska Public Power District in Columbus.
Similar to last year, agencies will have booths set up during the Third annual Car and Bike Show held by the Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter. The event will take place this weekend in Columbus.
The Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter’s car show this weekend is set to be a true community event.
The first two shows were held in Clarks. However, this year’s show will be held for the first time in Columbus on Sept. 11 at Nebraska Public Power District’s west lot, 1414 15th St. Registration opens at 9 a.m. while the show itself will last from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter President Ed Bogue said it was moved to Columbus this year because of how big the event is getting.
There will be tributes to 9/11 held throughout the day since the event is taking place on Sept. 11, Bogue noted. The tributes will include first responders and the armed forces.
“We’ve got the Columbus High School Marching Band opening the show for us. Apollo Lifelight is going to bring in a helicopter and we're going to take pictures as the cars by the helicopter,” Bogue said.
There will also be photo opportunities with a mural they created last year. It’s a 10-foot by 8-foot highway scene located on the back of one of the group’s canopies.
“We put a bike in there and the kids sit on the bike and the parents take pictures. It's like the kids are riding down the highway,” he added.
Additionally, attendees will also be able to enjoy tattoos, food and a lemonade stand.
“There's a lot of unique vendors that have been wanting to come to the show. We got things that you just don't see everywhere,” Bogue said, adding that agencies will be there to raise awareness of their causes as well. “We have a lot of support from the car club community … It's just a day of camaraderie and awareness.”
Bogue said local car groups have been creating a buzz for the event. He noted it’s difficult to guess how many people will come to the show, as it's dependent on the weather.
“We're hoping for 200 plus,” he said.
There will be a variety of trophies for vehicles of all classes – cars, motorcycles, trucks, rat rods, daily drivers and younger than 18. The entry fee is $20.
More information on the car and bike show can be found by calling 402-270-0420, emailing fatboygoc@gmail.com or visiting the “2022 Heartland Chapter Guardians of the Children Car and Bike Show” Facebook event.
Guardians of the Children is a nonprofit 501(c)3 motorcycle organization that advocates for children and families who are victims of abuse.
“Everything that's raised by us with our fundraisers goes back into our mission with the kids,” Bogue said. “We show them that there's life after abuse. We take them to football games. We have outings, we do things like that.”
But, more importantly, the car and bike show will bring attention to the child abuse problem, he said.
According to Bogue, there are three Guardians of the Children chapters in Nebraska – the other two are in North Platte and Chadron. The Heartland Chapter is the farthest east and covers about half of the state, Bogue noted.
“We get support from all the communities who are willing to,” he said. “We're still young as a chapter and we're branching out farther and farther now.”
The Heartland Chapter also puts on a Bikers and Bobbers event in Columbus in the springtime, and Bogue said they were asked to hold a similar type of event in Norfolk.
The group will be showing its appreciation for the Columbus community with a Harvest event on Sept. 24 at Centennial Park. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a variety of activities will take place for locals to enjoy.
“It's games for the kids, food. Just bring them down and let them have a good time,” Bogue said.
“We have very overwhelming support from the community. And it's just to give back to the community, show we appreciate what they do for us.”
In a few weeks, another community event is set to help the Center for Survivors. The Seventh annual Cooking for a Cause will be held Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the Center for Survivors, 3103 13th St.
Organizer C.J. Brewster said they are continuing to look for monetary donations for the event to help pay for the cost of meat and supplies.
This year, they will be serving pulled pork and brisket. For a free-will donation, people can get a meal served the day of the event or pick up their pre-orders.
Originally taking place in December, the event started as a way to do something good for the community, Brewster said.
“The first year they did it for the mission here in Columbus. But the past six years we've been doing it for the Center for Survivors,” he added.
Last year’s Cooking for a Cause went well.
“We had quite a few pre-orders. And plus we had quite a few people donate to help pay for the meat,” Brewster said. “We've been working on it as far as getting more donors to help pay for the meat, the supplies, stuff like that.”
In 2021, they raised roughly $2,500. Brewster said he would like to see them raise $3,500 this time around.
“I don't think people realize how many clients they (Center for Survivors) service in a year. And it's not only Columbus, but they've got surrounding counties that they cover,” Brewster said.
Pre-orders can be made by the pound by contacting Brewster at 402-270-5250 or Waylan Teller at 402-270-4942. Pre-orders must be received no later than Sept. 30. Brewster can also be contacted for more information.
Hannah Schrodt can be reached via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net.
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A Boss 302 Mustang is on display during the Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter's Car and Bike Show held last year in Clarks. The third annual event will be held in Columbus this weekend.
Visitors take a glance at the different vehicles on display during the Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter Car and Bike Show held last year. This year's event will be held on Sept. 11 at the Nebraska Public Power District in Columbus.
Similar to last year, agencies will have booths set up during the Third annual Car and Bike Show held by the Guardians of the Children Heartland Chapter. The event will take place this weekend in Columbus.
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