48th Annual NW Meet 2019
Located in the heart of Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley, the 48th Annual NW Meet’s venue, the Linn County EXPO center, was a perfect location to take in all the opportunities the area offers. The theme of the meet was Vistas, Valleys, Vineyards, and Vintage Chevrolets, and the meet had them all.
The meet brought VCCA members from as far away as Arizona and British Columbia, as well as members from Washington, Montana, Idaho, California, and Oregon. The farthest traveled to the meet was our national President, Franklin Gage (Maryland). Columbia River Region member, Gary Albertson attended his 48th NW meet—yes, every single one!
Participants brought a great array of Chevrolet and GMCs. The oldest Chevy was a 1918, brought by meet co-chair David Koetje! There were cars and trucks that had incredible, quality restorations and “drivers.” Bruce S. DeFord, national chair of the Judging Committee, headed up judging at the meet. Mike Rice’s 1928 Chevrolet 2-door coach, a former national “Best of the Best,” took overall honors as Best of Show.
The first tour of the week was a special tour reserved for Chevys and GMCs 1936 and older. The tour winded through the farmland and through a number of covered bridges, a major attraction in Linn county. On the second day of the meet, all Chevys and GMCs did another tour of the beautiful one lane covered bridges. The following day there was a tour and a lady’s brunch. The brunch’s theme was recognizing the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The Mayor of the City of Albany, Sharon Konopa, gave a great presentation on the challenges the Suffragettes faced. That afternoon, the tour went to the Advanced Transportation Technology Center at Linn-Benton Community College; one of two such centers in the country, where students ear their ASE certifications. Snap-On tools is a major sponsor.
The final tour on Saturday visited one of the mid-valley’s largest hazelnut farms. Then the group went on to visit Thompson’s Mills State Heritage Site. The flour mill was founded in 1858, a year before Oregon became a state.
The meet ended with a gala banquet and awards ceremony. We even had some good words from Franklin Gage! Gift baskets were raffled off and a 50/50 raffle ensued. Proceeds from both raffles are going to the Vintage Chevrolet Heritage Foundation for the VCCA members who lost their cars in the Paradise Wildfire in California. We’re all looking forward to the 49thAnnual NW Meet in Ellensburg, Washington to be put on by the Puget Sound region VCCA.
The Columbia River region enjoyed organizing this year’s meet and very much appreciate the assistance of members of the Willamette Valley region. A big thank you to all who helped make this a great meet! Here are a few photos from the meet.
