by Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute
Jefferson is the type of place where a group of people with a common interests can find ways to use their hobby to benefit others.
This is exactly the case with the Big Cypress Corvette Club (BCCC)—a group of car enthusiasts who have put their passion to work for a common good.
Their cornerstone event—the Big Cypress Corvette Show—is set for June 3-5, 2021, in downtown Jefferson.
“After having to cancel last year due to COVID, people are itching to have a show,” said BCCC president Hollis Shadden. “I anticipate more entries than ever. We have seen our biggest response to date, with early registrations and all.”
The first Big Cypress Corvette Show took place ten years ago.
It was designed as a venue for Corvette enthusiasts to show off their rides and educate on the public about Chevrolet’s legendary sports car line.
Shadden said the group hosted 85 Vettes in 2019 and he expect even more this year.
“Right now, we have two entries pre-registered from Las Vegas. There are Large groups from Little Rock and New Orleans who are registered as well as folks from Houston and Dallas,” Shadden said. “We are expecting a great show.”
Shadden claims Corvettes is not all his club does.
“We came together a few years ago and formed a board,” Shadden said. “We filed our 501c3 and set out to find ways to give back.”
The end result has been hosting car shows and other automotive events— the profits of which have gone to char-ity.
“We aim to provide family-friend-ly events for automotive enthusiasts,” Shadden said. “Our mission is to pro-mote tourism and support local charitable organizations.”
“In 2019, we donated just shy of $9,000 to local charities,” Shadden said. “We made contributions to the backpack program, Women of Jefferson Scholarships, the Jefferson Fire Department and Combat Warriors—a veterans’ group based in Arkansas.”
The groups’ newest project is restoring a 1925 Ford Model T.
The automotive relic was recently donated to the BCCC by the Mid American Flight Museum in Mount Pleasant.
“It was a one-family vehicle owned that was donated to them sometime ago,” Shadden said. “They are an air-plane museum so it’s a bit out of their wheelhouse. They put out feelers looking for a group who needed a project. We answered the call.”
Shadden said the group plans to re store the car mechanically while leaving the rust on age viable on the exterior.
“We are going to use it parades and car shows and in other education set-tings where we can raise money and awareness about automotive history and culture,” Shadden said.
He anticipates a repair bill of up to $5,000 to get the Ford running again.
“I suspect most of that will come out of our pockets,” Shadden said referring to his board.
Though the ongoing pandemic has slowed all events in Jefferson, the BCCC says they have plenty to do and are looking forward to getting the, near one-hundred year old, machine running again.