Car enthusiasts share passion with community

The residents of Carson Plaza Retirement Center are in for a treat today. A couple of treats.

Several participants of the Silver Dollar Car Classic will visit the center from 2-4 p.m. to display their cars while a DJ plays big band music and root beer floats are served.

Deborah Lykke, enrichment coordinator at the center, recently called Joy Evans, special events coordinator for the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau and asked if some of the Silver Dollar Car Classic participants would be interested in showing their cars at the center.

For Evans, it was a request she wanted to fulfill.

"We just want to put a smile on their face," Evans said. "This will bring back some pleasant memories for them."

Evans called several of the local entries of the classic car show and found some who were available to take their classic car for the residents to see.

Jackie and Ray Zaro of Carson City will bring their 1932, two-door Ford sedan to the center at 2120 E. Long St..

"We have a big group we run around with and have a good time with," Jackie Zaro said. "This sounded like something nice to do.

"My husband usually does all the talking about the car, and he loves to talk about it."

Zaro said they bought the car about a year ago and Ray fixed it up and did it the way he wanted it.

"It's black and orange with gray interior. It was in pretty good condition when we got it. Ray repainted it and fixed a few things that needed to be fixed."

Joining the Zaros is Ken Cavallero of Carson City. He will have a 1931 Ford, four-seat roadster.

"This car wasn't built until 1975, it's a replica of a 1931 Ford Model A Phantom," Cavallero said. "It has a leather trunk in the rear, with a stainless steel liner."

Cavallero admits he too is elderly, 75, and that a 1931 Ford was his first car at the age of 16, and he's looking forward to the root beer floats that will be served.

"I love everything," he said.

Lykke said there are about 94 residents at the center, which is an independent living center. She said there are not too many residents in wheelchairs, but a few use walkers. When Evans said she could accommodate her request, she got excited.

"We've been holding themed activities that focus around Hot August Nights and the '50s," Lykke said. "We're trying to bring what's going on in the community to them. Quite a few are very excited about the cars coming.

"Anytime I can bring anything like this to them, the more pleasurable it is for them."

"This is what we're all about," Evans said. "I'm finding a lot of our car people don't even hesitate to give of their time when I called. They like doing this for the seasoned residents. We're happy to do it."

• Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.