Organizers rev up interest in Fourth of July car show

It's time to dust off that Duster and shine up that Chevelle. Proud owners of anything from classic cars and clunkers to tricked-out trikes and awesome ATVs will have a chance to cruise into infamy on July 2.

A yet-to-be-named car show is scheduled to be part of the Fourth of July festivities, with prizes awarded to best in show and other categories.

Ellen Jellum, a masseuse at Arctic Chiropractic, had the idea for a car show to raise funds for Wrangell's schools. It's something she used to do with her family in Long Beach, Washington, since she was a baby.

"I've always enjoyed car shows. ... I knew that activities needed to be had because I saw a post on Facebook saying, 'We need ideas and volunteers,' and I wanted to get involved because I'm new here and I wanted to make friends," Jellum said.

The chamber of commerce will be sponsoring the event by promoting it, collecting the $25 entry fee, and providing the prizes. Executive Director Brittani Robbins believes it will be a good addition to the events held over the July 4 weekend.

"I think it will be new and interesting, and we already have people expressing interest in being involved," Robbins said. She knows of a few people in town who own classic cars, but the entries aren't limited to a mint '57 Chevy Bel Air or a custom 1948 Packard Woody station wagon.

There will be a best-in-show category, people's choice and others like the Thunder Dome category, which would be "for cars that look like they have either been through the apocalypse or are ready for it," Jellum said. "Anything with a motor, really."

Entrants will be asked to provide the year, make and model of the vehicle, along with a short explanation of how they came to own their vehicle and any other interesting trivia about it.

Jellum's current vehicle, which she refers to as her little red potato, is a 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage. Though it's not her car of choice, she said she has come to respect it. If she could have any car, she said it would be a tie between a 1959 drop-top Cadillac with a white leather interior and metallic green-flake paint job or a 1972 cherry red Chevy Corvette Stingray.

Anyone interested in entering their vehicle can contact Jellum on Facebook or the chamber of commerce at info@wrangellchamber.com.

If all goes according to Jellum's idea, there will be a chance for entrants to show their car in action before parking it for show.

"I'm hoping, unless someone sees a major problem with it ... have people cruising through (the festivities) circa 1976," she said.