Back to the Bricks
September 2020 Newsletter
September 25, 2020
The latest from the Chairman of the Board
It's been a challenging year for Back to the Bricks®. When we started planning Chrome & Ice 2020 back in October of 2019, we could not have anticipated that it would be our only major event of the year. COVID-19 has completely rocked our Nation and impacted our everyday lives like no other. I never thought we would cancel anything. In fact, it's not as easy as some would think to actually cancel events. Our committee is a well-oiled machine when it comes to putting on our main event. They have the knowledge, experience, and drive to make it happen year after year. But in May we found ourselves questioning: how do we continue our events amid the pandemic?
 
Our first decision, which was not an easy one, was to postpone the Promo Tour until October, in hopes that the situation would get better. Although there is more testing now, and preventative care information out there, it was still not possible to have the Tour. We made the difficult decision to cancel it altogether, and the response has been positive. We have already moved over 60% of the participants to the 2021 Promo Tour slated for June of 2021.
 
Our next big decision was how do we keep everyone safe, and still hold our major event, Back to the Bricks? Based on what other car shows were doing in the Nation, we knew that it was not possible. We had some Plan B's ready to go if things changed, but it just did not happen. We launched a new concept, offering our cruisers an opportunity to safely get out in their vehicles: Back to the Bricks® Road Rallies. We held two Road Rallies, one in June and one in July, which took our cars through over 25 beautiful small towns, and over to Port Huron.  A good portion of the routes were on back roads, which many said they had never been on before. The feedback was outstanding, and we are even thinking of holding one more Rally yet this year. We were able to launch this brand new style of event, social distance, and get our car lovers out to enjoy the roads, which I call a real WIN for the car community!
 
In late July, we held a special event honoring Al Hatch, founder of Back to the Bricks®. Thanks to a generous donation, Back to the Bricks® was able to add three new flag poles to the downtown statue plaza on Saginaw Street. The Board honored Al Hatch with a commemorative plaque which is on the tall center American Flagpole. At the same time, Back to the Bricks® presented 5 local seniors with $2,000 scholarships each, totaling $10,000.
 
In August, we held a Discovering Flint tour. Over 500 cars came out to drive the 17 mile route through Flint, exploring historical landmarks and really seeing the heritage in our wonderful community. At the rolling starting line, we handed out our 2020 collector’s t-shirt, which was made possible by our amazing sponsors. Along the route, a collector’s edition of Back to the Bricks® Magazine was given away by Elga Credit Union. At the finish line, participants received a one of a kind car plaque, and had the option to purchase official Back to the Bricks® Merchandise and Root Beer. All in all, it was a beautiful day for a tour, and we know everyone had a great and SAFE time.
 
So what's next?
 
We are already looking toward the 2021 season, with the Chrome & Ice committee gearing up to start planning. We know it still might look a little different going into 2021, but the entire Back to the Bricks® organization is doing everything and anything they can to ensure that we continue to put on safe and enjoyable events for all.
 
Stay tuned, more to come...

Remember, Stay home, stay safe, and keep our leaders, our first-responders, and especially, our health care providers, and the scientific community searching for a cure and a vaccine in your thoughts and prayers!

Steve Hobson
Chairman of the Board
Back to the Bricks
stevehobson@backtothebricks.org
At home with our Executive Director
Hey everyone!
 
I can hardly believe it's September, and really, almost October! This year is one for the history books for sure. It has been filled with emotions and excitement around every curve. It sure has FLOWN by. My daughter started in-person learning at her school, and although I was hesitant to send her at first, she is thriving. The end of last school year, March through June, was a hard experience for us both. I am NOT a teacher and she does NOT like virtual learning, so we really had fun.
 
We made some pretty tough decisions for our organization this year, but I believe we worked really hard to ensure everyone's safety as our top priority. In fact, launching the new Road Rallies helped us to put the entire situation into the background for the time being.  We were able to get out, be in our cars, and enjoy the roads!
 
We are already starting to plan for 2021.  I, for one, am thrilled at the new events we are thinking about, with new opportunities to bring even more cars to our area, and I am mostly excited to just push forward and get back to doing what we love, which is cars, shows and more!
 
I want to thank everyone for the amazing support. I have received so many emails, thanking and praising us for the decisions we've made. I also really enjoy hearing the stories, and I appreciate those who like to check in with me and make sure I am not going stir crazy working from home. You are all getting to know me really well. I am a go-go-go type of person!
 
Well that's all for now! Thanks again for all your support, and know that I am here anytime to chat.

Amber Taylor
Executive Director
Back to the Bricks
Direct: 810-877-8383
ambertaylor@backtothebricks.org
Keeping you informed
Staying Connected

The Executive Committee, the Board of Directors and events committee members for Back To The Bricks® are continuing to conduct regular meetings from our home offices via Zoom Video Conferencing. They are doing their best to make responsible decisions and keep the history and heritage of our organization and events in which we produce alive. We are thankful for modern technology and the Internet!
Visionary Promo Tour

For the record, before this pandemic we have never in history cancelled any of our events. Our 2020 Visionary Promo Tour Chairmen, Rhonda Rau
and Pete Cimbala have done a wonderful job in communicating and doing their
best despite the situation they've had to deal with. They tried to continue the
tour with the postponement, but it just did not seem possible to continue with
it this year. Their entire committee put a lot of work into this tour and will
look forward to seeing it happen in June of 2021.
WINNER'S Circle
This month's Newsletter WINNER is:
David Hoffman of Lapeer

Congratulations on winning!
This month's special prize is a Back to the Bricks Hat, and Collectors Shirt!

Please contact Amber Taylor to claim your prize

Amber Taylor, CTA
Executive Director
ambertaylor@backtothebricks.org
810-877-8383
Al's Garage
Al’s Garage, Vol. 1, #7

A Tour Versus A Cruise

I got thinking about what the difference between a ‘cruise’ and a ‘tour’ is.   So why not look up the meaning of both word via Webster’s Dictionary. A ‘cruise’ as defined by Webster’s, is ‘sail about touching a series of ports’; to travel for the sake of traveling; to go about the streets at random; to travel at the most efficient speed; and finally ‘ to cruise over or about’. So, what about the meaning of ‘tour’?

A ‘tour’ is defined as ‘a journey for business, pleasure or education in which one returns to the starting point; a brief turn around’. Obviously, each of us may interpret both words in multiple ways and that is quite okay. In today’s world, normally, the car hobby calendar would be filled with local ‘cruise-ins’. Drive to a local town or drive-in restaurant, park your car, get the lawn chairs out and watch the world pass. Referring to ‘Webster’s’ definition, the local cruise does not really fit the definition of the word ‘cruise’.

On the other hand, the word ‘tour’ is probably more closely aligned with the car hobby. The ‘Back to the Bricks’ annual ‘Promo Tour’ is a great example of the meaning of the word ‘tour’. Taking your favorite ride out on a ‘tour’ typically is for several days and covering several hundred miles or more and frequently requires traveling to several states. So why do I choose to bring this topic up?

No reasons but from experience I can say going on a ‘tour’ with your collector car offers far more memories then attending a local ‘cruise’. Participating in a tour can be with a couple of friends or by yourself if you choose or up to several hundred cars. I have found traveling with another couple or several hundred participants to be equally enjoyable and rewarding. The most important point of this article is that you get your collector cars out and enjoy them. Do not get hung up on whether it is going to rain or break downs. If you prefer to let your car set in the garage like a museum piece, may I suggest it would be much cheaper to purchase multiple memberships in auto museums then owning a car and leave it sitting in your garage. Unfortunately, the longer you let a car set, the more gremlins find their way into your collector car(s). Just my opinion and hope that it spurs some friendly banter among you and your fellow car hobbyists.

Keep on rollin’

Al Hatch