When Ron Volk stepped forward and began organizing the Lake Country Custom and Classic Car Show four years ago, it was just a shadow of what it has become.
Volk, 71, was a car show regular with his 1970 Chevelle SS, traveling around the province and showing his restored beauty off at various car shows.
At the time the Lake Country show was just two years old and organizers were not going to continue with it.
But Volk and his wife Kathy decided they would jump in and take the reigns.
And over the past four years the show has grown from about 100 cars to nearly 400 this year and has raised close to $20,000 for the Lake Country Food Bank.
"I've been into classic cars pretty much my whole life," said Volk. "This show is well respected now. People are coming from all over because they know its a good show, probably one of the best in B.C. We had cars from Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C. and Washington State this year."
As the show has grown over the years, adding entertainment, food vendors and more classic vehicles all the time, Volk found himself stretched thin. This year Volk enlisted the help of the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce to run one of the two days of the show and he's decided to hand over the reigns full-time to the chamber to help to push it further into the future.
"The thing is the show has gotten so big that it is too hard for two people to manage," said Volk on Friday, before leaving to attend another car show. "I have been looking around for some help and the chamber has a committee to bring in more big events to Lake Country so it's a good fit. I will be staying on as an adviser."
Volk has been a fixture in Lake Country since moving to the area when he was 15. He attended George Elliot Secondary before beginning a long career in the forest industry, first in Kelowna and then in Salmon Arm. After retiring about 10 years ago, Volk had more time to tour is vintage Chevelle around as well as to jump into the organizing of the local car show. A father of four grown kids, Volk and his wife Kathy did the majority of the organizing for the show the past four years.
He says it's been a great run.
"I remember seeing it grow every year," said Volk of the car show. "To get to the point it is now...I'm really proud of it because over the four years we've donated $20,000 to the food bank. It's been a lot of work. It turned into pretty much a full time job. We are getting older and we have a lot of things to do yet."
So while the Volk's get set to take on a lesser role Ron vows to keep on with the organizing and make sure the momentum built over the last four years continues.
"I want to see it continue and be successful," he said. "There will be a lot of hard work and I will be there to advise them along the way."