Cars_guitars_09-26

Jeff Green | Jul 02, 2009

Churchgoers heading into Sharbot Lake next Sunday morning, July 12, and others who get out on Sundays might think they’ve slipped into a time warp. Dozens of cars from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s (organizers are hoping for upwards of 100) will be wending their way down Road 38 to the Sharbot Lake beach for a car show in support of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Guitars at Schools program.

Dennis Larocque of Sharbot Lake started up the program this past spring. It provides guitars for students in the intermediate grades (7 and 8) and weekly ½ hour lessons for six weeks.

Dennis taught the first class in the program this spring at Sharbot Lake Intermediate School to a group of four students, who were selected by grade 8 teacher Kirby Gilbertson. After the lessons a couple of the students kept their guitars for the summer.

“What we are trying to do, with the help of the teachers in the classroom, is identify kids who might benefit from some basic guitar lessons. We don’t expect them all to continue with it, but some of them might,” said Dennis Larocque of the project, “and it went really well with the first group.”

It was a first step for the program, with the hope of rolling it out to four or five schools in Frontenac and Lanark County this September.

The program needs money for instruments as well as volunteer instructors. It has received financial and administrative support from Big Brothers and Sisters of Lanark County and a successful fundraiser was held at the Fall River Pub and Grill.

“We are asking for voluntary admission of $10 per family for the car show. The township has donated the space in front of the band shell at the beach and Kevin Carnrite from McDonalds Corners will be the DJ for the day, playing music from the ’50s and ’60s to go with many of the cars that will be on display.”

In addition, there will be a BBQ.

All in all, it promises to be an inexpensive treat for fans of mint-condition classic cars, and the owners will be available to talk about their vehicles.

For further information, contact Dennis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.