Cathy and Butch Steele of Grants Pass stand next to their award-winning 1934 DeSoto. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven)The Southern Oregon Rod & Custom Show is about much more than shiny street rods. It's about passion and commitment among folks who spend thousands of hours and thousands of dollars on their projects. And it's about supporting local kids with developmental and mobility problems.
Now in its 30th year, the show is held by Rogue Valley Street Rods and celebrates the re-styling and re-building of pre-1954 vehicles.
The largest indoor automotive show from the Bay Area to Portland will feature nearly 115 selected street rods and custom and specialty vehicles from the western region.
The show is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, at the Jackson County Expo, 1 Peninger Road, Central Point.
There are three featured vehicles, "Flo Blown," a '34 DeSoto, "Simply Red," a '41 Ford, and "Hammer," a custom chopper from Thunderstruck Custom Bikes of Medford.
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"Simply Red," owned by Ray and Katy Dalke of Grants Pass, has also fared well competitively, winning the following awards: First in Class, 2006 Portland Rod & Custom Show and the 2006 Seattle Roadsters Show; runner-up in its class at the 2006 Grand Nationals in Pomona; and finalist for 10 Most Beautiful Customs in the Sacramento Autorama.
"Hammer" has been featured in Street Chopper magazine, on "Speed Vision" and on "American Thunder" on the Speed Channel. Thunderstruck owner Mark Daley was invited to the elite 2006 Artistry In Iron show of the Las Vegas Bike Fest, featuring 25 of the top builders throughout the country. Along with "Hammer," Daley will bring five other choppers to the Rod & Custom Show.
Family activities include voting for favorite hot rods and custom cars, valve-cover races for children, coloring contests, go karts, a prize giveaway every half hour and several large raffles.
Since the early '80s the non-profit Rogue Valley Street Rods has donated proceeds from the show to charity. The majority of those proceeds, nearly $317,000, has gone to Oregon Health & Science University's Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, which in turn serves children in need throughout Southern Oregon.
Last year alone, $30,000 was donated to CDRC thanks to donations from local businesses and organizations and the 8,000 people who attended the show.
"We do it for the kids," said Atland Erickson, marketing chairman for Rogue Valley Street Rods. "We're looking to donate $35,000 to $40,000 to CDRC this year."
CDRC client Dominic Luciano, 14, will participate in the show by choosing his favorite car and assisting with the awards ceremony that takes place late Sunday afternoon.
Dominic suffers from cerebral palsy and neurofibromatosis, which has contributed to the 14 tumors in his body. But he doesn't let that get him down. Instead he chooses to immerse himself in computers, music and cars.
"I've liked cars since I was pretty young, they're just fun to be around," Dominic said. "It's cool because (CDRC has) given a lot of stuff to me so I'm giving back to them now."
Dominic's father, Michael Luciano, said that the help from CDRC has been invaluable. "It came at a perfect time two and a half years ago. CDRC donated a state-of-the-art laptop." They also donated a special exercise bike to accommodate his mobility problems and sophisticated computer programs.
A freshman at North Medford High School, Dominic recently won best solo in the state at the Oregon Jazz Festival in Eugene playing the piano. He also builds and programs computers.
"With all that's happened to him, music and computers have really kept him going," Michael Luciano said.
Showgoers have the opportunity to win dinners to local restaurants, car waxes, a $500 gift certificate to Sherm's markets, $500 to Les Schwab or Vantage Tires, a transmission or a Chevy motor.
Admission is $7 for adults and $2 for children 6-12 and free for children 5 and younger. Military members in uniform get in for free.
Organized in 1975 and now more than 125 members strong, Rogue Valley Street Rods is the oldest active club of its kind in Southern Oregon. It was one of only two Northwest auto clubs to earn Eagle One Industries' Award of Merit recognizing work toward community involvement and charitable causes.
For more information, call Erickson at 665-1553.
