By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
Several hundred vehicles are expected to cruise Route 66 this Thursday night during a benefit for four Yukon non-profits.
The second annual “Cruise-In for a Cause” is slated 6-10 p.m. Sept. 17 in downtown Yukon.
Presented by Yukon’s Best Main Street and the non-profit Yukon 66 Main Street Association, this event will be a passive leisure, open car cruise.
“There are two main reasons to come out Thursday night,” Yukon Main Street Director Vicki Davis. “For car enthusiasts, it’s the thrill of cruising Route 66.
“Also, it’s for people to support these four ‘help causes’ who do such great work serving our community.”
The 2020 Cruise-In for a Cause will benefit: Compassionate Hands, Inc., Pets & People Humane Society, Yukon Manna Pantry, and Yukon Sharing Ministry.
“Each of our causes has been involved with planning and promoting the event and will have advocacy booths Thursday night to share the programs and services they offer,” Davis said.
Route 66 cruise attendees can give to the non-profits directly at the booths on Fourth Street just north of Main.
Each cause also will have a “drive” for needed items that people can donate:
- Manna Pantry, Yukon’s emergency food cupboard, will bring its new van to fill with jars of peanut butter and jelly during Thursday’s cruise. Their theme is “Fill Their Bellies with Peanut Butter and Jelly.”
- Yukon Sharing, which provides people in need with clothing, food and other household goods, is asking cruise-goers to donate cans of soup at the Main Street event. Their theme is “Soup for the Soul”.
- Compassionate Hands, a ministry that serves people in temporary crisis, will ask people to help fill its accessible Care-A-Van with packages of toilet paper. Their theme is “Roll Out the Help for Compassionate Hands.”
- Pets & People Humane Society, which rescues and adopts out animals, is asking cruise-goers to bring donations of canned dog and cat food. Their theme is “Can You Show Me Some Love?” as visitors will get to hug cute puppies seeking new homes.
Thursday’s Route 66 cruise is open to any street-legal vehicle – and it doesn’t have to be a hot rod, classic or muscle car.
“We encourage those vintage cars and ‘cool’ rides, but we welcome late models as well,” Davis said.
Main Street will not be blocked to through traffic and it’s free to attend.
‘PARK AND SHOW’ SPACES
While it is free to cruise, about 40 vehicle owners registered for “Park and Show” spaces in the 400 and 500 blocks of Main Street.
“The reserved ‘Park and Show’ spaces have sold out,” Davis reported.
There will be snack food trucks at Fifth and Main and Grady’s 66 Pub will offer their famous onion burgers.
A professional photographer will take photos of car owners and their vehicles at the State Farm Photo Stop in front of the Yukon’s Best flour mill mural on the south side of Third and Main.
The disc jockey, Roy “Music Man” Henderson, will be featured at the N Fourth Street event stage.
“We are encouraging people to visit our Main Street shops and eateries, many of which are staying open late for the cruise,” Davis said.
There also will be two “donation stations” on cruise night for people to give directly to the four causes.
The Yukon Main Street board launched the Cruise-In for a Cause in 2019 to capitalize on the tradition of car cruises along historic Route 66.
“We want to promote the connectivity of our Main Street district and the businesses,” Davis explained. “This is really an opportunity to connect the businesses, and we encourage participants to stop in the stores and restaurants along the route.
“The other strategy which really drove this event idea was to celebrate our cultural heritage. And Route 66 is a huge part of that cultural heritage.”
Cruise-In for a Cause event T-shirts may be ordered through the Facebook page, @Yukon66MainStreet.
For more information, visit http://www.yukonok.gov or call the Yukon Main Street office at (405) 350-5999.
