By Mike Pickford
Halifax, Nova Scotia — August 24, 2016 — Car enthusiasts from across Atlantic Canada were provided with a unique opportunity to get their daily fix on August 20 as the inaugural East Coast Exotic Car Show took over Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Hosted in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, the East Coast Exotic Car Show set out with a goal of supporting an ongoing national campaign that grants wishes for children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. While the total amount of funds raised was not disclosed to the public, it is expected to go a long way.
“Right now there are roughly 100 children in our own community that are waiting for a wish to be granted,” Roger Knickle, honourary chairman of the show, told media on August 22. “So we are trying to get as much as we can and grant as many wishes as possible.”
With exactly 30 luxury sports cars featured and various industry-related businesses on hand to talk to interested attendees at the Cunard Centre, the inaugural event has already been deemed an overwhelming success. Knickle was especially impressed with the turn out.
“Car enthusiasts will come from all over to view these exceptional cars – there were Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and many more rare exotic cars together there for one day,” Knickle said. “A lot of people who aren’t even car enthusiasts are saying to me ‘I’m not a car person but I just had to come out and see the show because I really wanted to see one of these rare (cars).’”
Amongst those in attendance was Kelvin Campbell, owner of the Halifax-based CSN-Chapman Auto Body. Having been contracted to detail each of the 30 cars on display at the showcase, he and several of his employees stuck around to enjoy a fun-filled day of auto-related activities.
“We had a ball at the show – it was so much fun meeting with people from all across eastern Canada with an interest in exotic cars,” Campbell told Collision Repair magazine.
While the 100-plus people in attendance clearly enjoyed themselves throughout the course of the day, the focus very much remained on ensuring as much money as possible was raised to help the Children’s Wish Foundation and its ‘More Wishes, More Wonders’ campaign, a fact that was not lost on Campbell.
“It’s absolutely amazing to see what the people of this industry are able to do when they come together,” Campbell said. “This event raised some serious, serious money which is all going to be heading to a fantastic cause in the Children’s Wish Foundation. A lot of people did a lot of good this past weekend.”
According to a post made on the show’s Facebook page shortly after the event had concluded at least two children facing life-threatening illnesses would have their wishes granted thanks to the “overwhelming generosity of the car owners, sponsors, the car enthusiasts and many families that enjoyed the exotic cars.”
For more information on the East Coast Exotic Car Show, visit eastcoastexoticcarshow.com.
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