Classic Corvettes lined one row, Chevys lined another, the Mustang Club had their own row, and even a row of Volkswagens were on display at the Southeast Region Car Council Super Cruise In, hosted by Hinesville’s Heavy Chevy Riderz Car Club.
The event, held Saturday at the Army Education Center parking lot, offered food, fun, music and an array of custom and classic cars ranging from British imports to a 1969 Chevy SS Chevelle.
Eunice “Slim” Barton Jr., president of the Heavy Chevy Riderz Club and a retired soldier, said the club wanted to give back.
“To us this is very important,” he said. “Here in Hinesville, military personnel make up the majority of the community. We have soldiers going to different parts of the world overseas and placing their lives on the line every day. We just want to do this to show we appreciate what they are doing and be able to give back to them.”
The Heavy Chevy Riderz was created when Barton returned from a deployment in Iraq and retired from the military.
“My sons suggested we start a car club in Hinesville,” he said. “I thought it was a good idea and it started out just me and one of my biddies from my unit.”
Originally it was called the Heavy Chevy Boyz.
“It took off from there,” he said
As membership grew, Barton said women who wanted to join the club and people who drove cars other than Chevys approached him.
“In the beginning, we were just Chevy’s but we don’t discriminate,” he said. “We are a group of people who love cars in general. We have members with BMWs, Fords and all different types of cars. So we changed the name to Heavy Chevy Riderz and it really took off after that. Right now, we have 50 members on the books, a lot of which are soldiers and are still deployed, but we still support them while they are out there.”
Barton said the club’s main priority is not cruising car clubs and shows like most people think. This club has a cause.
“Our number one priority is to give back to the community,” he said.
“We try to raise money for different charitable organizations. We’ve given money to the Liberty Humane Shelter, the Liberty County United Way. We held a blood drive for the Red Cross. We also sponsored a local teenager so she could go to Atlanta and compete for a scholarship. We try and change things up and pick different charities each year and spread it out for all the community. “
As the crowds gathered to view the cars, the band began to set up. Music blared from the customized stereo and video systems in some cars and collectors polished the chrome trim on their rides to a perfect sheen.
For more information on the Heavy Chevy Riderz, call 271-5383.