On August 19, Rittenhouse Village at Portage hosted their sixth annual Charity Car Show with the Portage Chamber of Commerce to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. There was no shortage of classic cars and smiles, as people from all over the community came out to look at classic cars and show their support for Rittenhouse Village and families affected by Alzheimer’s.
Senior Lifestyle Counselor at Rittenhouse Village Danielle Balek works with her team to organize events like this to bring the community together and give the residents an opportunity to engage with those outside of their living facility. Despite having to put their car show on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plenty of people and cars were in attendance this year.
“I must tell you; this is the best event we have had in a long time. It’s awesome to see how everyone is honoring mask-wearing and really respecting the situation we’re in,” said Balek. “This is the biggest our car show has ever been. I believe we are up to about 45 cars right now. Every spot is full, and we are even using sides of the street!”
Rittenhouse Village partnered with Moses Caregivers Homes, Indiana Farm Bureau, and the Portage Chamber of Commerce to put on the event. The funds from the event go to the Portage Chamber of Commerce and from there, they donate back to the Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana.
“Dementia is a family disease. It affects everyone in the family. The great thing about Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services is that they give back to the community, and the Alzheimer’s Association works to find a cure for the disease,” Balek said.
This year, the car show was also paired with Rittenhouse Village at Portage’s family night.
“For our residents, this night means they get to be part of the world again. With COVID-19, our staff was the only family our residents had. This is huge for them to be able to see people, get out, and enjoy themselves,” Balek said.
Nancy Simpson, Executive Director of the Portage Chamber of Commerce, had this to say about the event.
“It’s great for the residents to come out and have something to do. The music and cars are definitely their era,” Simpson said. “This is a great community event. Just knowing that we’re partnering with an organization that is helping the seniors and giving back to their charity of choice, it’s a good feeling.”
This event was also a family affair for many attendees. In addition to wanting to support a great cause, there were a group of cars that caught the eyes of many individuals. Ryan Jones, a classic car owner, brought his family and three classic cars that they’ve all worked on together.
“This is a 1941 Ford pickup truck that my daughter, Victoria, bought when she was 14. She, her grandfather, and I built it from the frame up. It’s got a 350 wide-block Buick engine in it, with a 350 turbo trans, an 8” Ford Mustang rear end, and a ’34 Ford front end. The build took us about 9 months. My favorite part about the build was that it was a family thing,” Jones said.
Jones also brought with him a 1949 Chevy with a mix of parts and a 1940 Ford that included a car phone and drive-in movie radio.
It’s great to see how classic cars can bring all types of people and families together.
“Portage is a great community. We come together and we do a lot of things together. Rittenhouse Village, if someone needs a wonderful place for a loved one, it’s a family. If there’s anyone looking for a family for their loved one, come here and check us out,” Balek said.
To learn more about Rittenhouse Village at Portage and to schedule a tour of their facilities, visit https://www.rittenhousevillages.com/rittenhouse-village-at-portage/.