Making their way toward Station 82.
By Mary O’KEEFE
Crescenta Valley’s traditional Patriot Day motorcade took a not-so-traditional route on Sept. 11 as it wound its way from La Crescenta through Glendale and Tujunga and back.
The motorcade of classic cars and hot rods annually recognize emergency responders and, for the past seven years, has driven past local schools as part of its route; however, due to COVID-19 and remote learning that route was adjusted.
The focus this year remained on first responders and added frontline workers and seniors in assisted living homes.
Seniors waved as the motorcade drove past Twelve Oaks Senior Living, North Hills Nursing Center and Foothill Retirement. Frontline workers lined up on the rooftops at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and in front of the emergency room at Adventist Health-Glendale.
In addition to sharing the story in CVW, free public service announcements [PSAs], arranged by motorcade organizer Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce, were played on radio station AM 870. The station has local offices in Glendale.
“I had participated in an event with [American Legion Post 288] on July 11,” said Pamela Tyus Smith. “I heard about the event through a partner of ours at CHP [California Highway Patrol.”
She added that when she heard of the Sept. 11 event she contacted CVCOC and told it she wanted to do something to help. She wrote, produced and performed the voice-overs for the PSAs.
“I wanted [AM 870] to be there,” she said.
The radio station has other outreach events, including a facemask drive in which 4,000 masks were collected for eventual donation.
The classic cars and hot rods were all part of Early Rodders, a group of car enthusiasts who not only take their classic and hot rods seriously but for years have also been a partner in community outreach efforts with community organizations like CVCOC. Despite the pandemic the Early Rodders, along with the Chamber, have found ways to safely interact with the community while observing social distancing protocols.
The motorcade ended at Bob Smith Toyota; pre-COVID-19 there would have been an evening ceremony to remember the victims of 9/11; however, due to gathering restrictions that aspect of the remembrance had to be canceled. CVCOC plans to bring back the motorcade and the evening ceremony in 2021.
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