BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — While our community couldn’t hold our 101st annual Veterans Day Parade this year, the Bakersfield Car Club Council along with Honor Flight Kern County and The Hospice Foundation will be bringing the parade to local veterans all around town. Honoring them is as simple as hopping in your car.
“There’s a lot of people that can make time to do it. it’s just taking a little time out of our life, when there’s so much time that they gave,” Jordan Tyack, Co-Director of the BCCC Veteran’s Day Cruise said.
That’s why on Veteran’s Day this year, they’re hosting a Veteran’s Day Cruise in place of the parade held in town in year’s past. So far, the cruise is expecting about 500 cars to rev up their engines at five locations, with a “shotgun start” at 11:11 a-m., the date of Veteran’s Day. This means all cars will leave at the same time, making counterclockwise routes that cover the entire city of Bakersfield.
Vehicles will make stops at Veteran’s Memorial, American Legion and six senior living facilities that house veterans. Veterans will be socially-distanced at their consecutive residencies to watch the cruise from afar, but still with a clear view of those classic, custom and everyday vehicles alike.
“We’ll just be driving by, honking our horns, waving flags, having our signs out and showing our appreciation,” Debbie Lee, Co-directors of BCCC Veteran’s Day Cruise said.
The car council says that cars that are a part of the club or not can take part in this cruise for a cause. Participants are encouraged to decorate their cars or bring American flags to wave during the 90-minute drive.
Here’s a map of the cruise. Cars are encouraged to get at their starting points at 10:45 a.m.