The only thing that rivals Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club members’ love for America’s classic sports car is perhaps their love for community. The group, dating back to 1976 and incorporated in 1981, was first formed by a handful of friendly Corvette enthusiasts who began planning activities and get-togethers surrounding their love for the car. Nearly 40 years later, the Corvette still brings SCVCC members together; however, the group has evolved to include 100 members, out-of-state rides, community service projects, a well-connected member support system, and even a few 2016 models.
“We’re not a club that goes out and races around,” said SCVCC President Dwight McDonald. “Over the years, our focus has changed a lot. We’ve put more of an emphasis on being involved in the community and giving back when we can.”
Initially, members are drawn to the club for its breadth of Corvette-related activities including: club meetings; social events at local restaurants; car shows; community events; and group drives, or “runs,” throughout the state and further. Popular runs have included Carpinteria, Ojai, Pechanga, Mount Baldy, and Reno, Nevada, as well as California’s biggest regional car shows. Or sometimes — they’ll just drive up the coast.
“People get to see the history of the Corvette driving up the highway,” McDonald said.
Generally, about 30 Corvettes are present at any given event, and cars range from a 1954 model — just one year after the first Corvette was released in 1953 — to the 2016 model. Though the cars tend to get all the attention, the members are the ones who shape the club’s role in the community.
“We’re more than a club; it’s a family,” McDonald said. “We recognize everyone who walks in. There aren’t cliques. Everyone sits with everyone. We’re all good friends.”
The camaraderie that has captured this local club seems to permeate the entire group. And in times of trouble, members show up for each other. When one member became seriously ill and had to drop out of the club, the club stepped up to help out in whatever way possible. Another member returned from a run to find a massive flood in his home. The SCVCC showed up, cleaned up, packed and unpacked, McDonald said. “If something is wrong, or you have a problem, everyone jumps in to help,” he said.
The SCVCC’s caring, can-do attitude extends past just the members, however. The club has been supporting community events, non-profits and causes for years since its original establishment. Each year, the club chooses a local charity to sponsor. After hearing representatives speak about their organizations, the group selects a charity and asks what its clients need.
In recent years, the SCVCC supported the SCV Senior Center by providing a full sound system with remote control mics and speakers — even though they only asked for a handheld mic/speaker set. In addition, the group donates a full truck of goods to the SCV Food Pantry each holiday season and supports local events such as the Santa Clarita Fourth of July Parade and local car shows.
“It doesn’t matter what you do — retired, working, whatever — that all goes by the wayside when you walk in. We’re just people talking about Corvettes and spending time in the community,” McDonald said.
The Santa Clarita Valley Corvette Club meets every third Thursday of the month at Marie Callender’s at 6 p.m. Please note that the SCVCC has a 100-member cap so the club can effectively plan events and activities. For information, please visit www.scvcc.org.
photos by Joie de Vivre photographie
