After beginning in fall of 2023, the Cars of UCCS club grew enough in a year to host their first “professional car show” on Aug. 10.
The event lasted from 3 – 7 p.m., featuring two-step competitions and show car awards. Over 200 spectators attended. Cars of UCCS President Andy Ai said that UCCS staff played a big part in working with Cars of UCCS to coordinate the event on campus, especially the UCCS police, who are always on the scene keeping events safe.
According to Ai, the summer show had the club’s largest turnout yet. “The event consisted of 50 plus show vehicles, vendor booths, giveaways, a back-to-school drive and catering from UCCS,” he said. “We teamed up with large companies such as Redbull, Peaked Entertainment and many others.”
Ai, a junior majoring in biology and pre-med, first created the club during the fall 2023 semester. He built the club from the ground up after noticing UCCS was lacking a car club.
Ai’s background with cars enabled him to notice unique ones around campus, and he connected with other car enthusiasts to create the club. “I got into cars at a very young age because my father was also a car guy. I grew up around my dad’s vehicles and we’d go to car events as a family,” he said.
Ai likes to use Cars of UCCS to give back to the community. “During December 2023, we collaborated with Toys for Tots to host a toy drive at one of our events. We were able to donate a full box of toys,” he said. “I also teamed up with Christmas Unlimited to host a back-to-school drive. The donation box filled with school supply donations, and we were able to help even more people!”
Ai said the club has helped him gain a community on campus and make close friends. His goal for Cars of UCCS is to connect students and create a supportive community of car lovers.
Cars of UCCS is open to the whole UCCS community. The club uses Instagram and Mountain Lion Connect to inform members of upcoming events.
Cars on display at a Cars of UCCS car show on Aug. 28. Photo by Josiah Dolan.