Have you ever daydreamed about how you would spend your winnings if you won the lottery? Although I rarely buy a ticket, deciding how I would disperse the money is always my favorite part. For at least one day, it’s fun to think about how I could help members of my family or an organization or two.
As most of us “bob and weave” financially through good times and bad, it’s not always possible to make donations to organizations that we feel passionate about supporting. But, a group of car enthusiasts found a unique way to give back to the community and support everyday local heroes. A little over three years ago, Beverly Karch suggested to her husband Mike, “Since people love the cars, why not find a way to use them in a positive manner?” Mike gave it some thought, and soon he and nine others formed a Board of Directors, became IRS-approved, and started the nonprofit Cars Against Crime Foundation.
Rather than only putting classic cars on display, they found a niche market that others had not thought of. By restoring and showing many of the vehicles used by crime fighters from comics, movies, and popular television shows, they found the public was very receptive to dropping a donation into a bucket for their charity. The public eagerly embraced the opportunity to bring their families to see these iconic cars and take a picture next to a 6-foot action hero. Donations began to roll in, which were then divided and donated to the local police, fire, and first responder organizations.
Although Cars Against Crime Foundation only began in 2022, they are the official charity of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association. This past April, the guys brought 18 cars to the Minneapolis Convention Center for the Twin Cities Auto Show. With their own exclusive room to showcase their cars and superheroes, spectators walking through their doors were transported back in time.
One look at the Batmobile and a 6 ft. Batman could immediately conjure up visuals like ‘WHACK,” “BLAP,” “BONK,” and other combustible words that were a big part of the Batman Magazine and comics back in the early ’40s. “Dick Tracy’s yellow Packard was legendary, the Green Hornet’s 1965 Imperial, ‘Black Beauty,’ was cool, and Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine, which was a 1969 Dodge A-100 Van with a wild green, orange, and blue paint job, remains one of the most requested vehicles,” says Mike.
These days, it’s not unusual to attend a grand opening for a business somewhere in the metro area and see one of these infamous crime-fighting cars drawing a large crowd. Proceeds donated by the public at these events are given to the police, fire, and first responders via the Cars Against Crime Foundation. “It’s not uncommon to see kids wearing Batman jammies, or even crime-fighting costumes worn by adults to our events. We are also open the last Saturday of the month from 9am-1pm, now through September, at the Chanhassen Auto Plex, which is free to attend,” says Mike.
So, if you’re looking for something to do this summer with a little extra “SOK,” “BLAP,” or “POW!” which also benefits many of our local heroes, hop in your classic car, or SUV and travel back in time with the great guys that are helping in their own, unique ways to fight local crime.
Don’t forget to brush up on Robin’s (Batman’s sidekick) crime-fighting lingo, “Holy Toledo, Batman!” or “Holy Graf Zeppelin!” You just might use it when you see these amazing cars!
Learn more: https://www.carsagainstcrime.org/