38 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • DECEMBER 24, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Photo courtesy of Michael Bilski Photo courtesy of Steve Hansen
Decked out classic cars drive through
Glendale in COVID-friendly parade
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two dozen classic cars decked out in
Christmas gear drove around Glendale
on Sunday, Dec. 13, to spread some
socially distant cheer.
Th e Glendale-based East Coast Car
Association and the Glendale Kiwanis
Club brought together car enthusiasts at
the Shops at Atlas Park for a fi rst-of-itskind
car holiday parade.
Michael Bilski, the public aff airs director
of East Coast Car Association, dressed
up as Santa Claus and his wife, Sandy, as
Mrs. Claus. Th ey led the caravan on their
decorated 1966 Mercury Comet.
“Th e people that showed up at Atlas
Park were so respectful, wore their masks
and social distanced,” Bilski wrote in a
thank-you post on Facebook. “It is amazing
what can be done during these dark
times when we come together as a community.”
Th e caravan passed by parts of
Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth and
Ridgewood.
Th is isn’t the fi rst time Bilski drove
around with his Mercury — on Halloween
he decorated it with skeletons and on
Easter he dressed up as the Easter Bunny.
Th e community knows him for leading
cruise nights, car shows and other events
with the East Coast Car Association, a
nonprofi t to benefi t St. Mary’s Hospital
for Children in Bayside.
According to Steve Hansen, president
of the Glendale Kiwanis Club, they’ve
received nothing but gratitude from community
members.
“We brought some normalcy to the
neighborhood,” said Hansen. “Th e look
on kids faces was absolutely phenomenal.
It brought smiles even to the parents’
faces.”
Hansen and Bilski said they were
advised not to advertise the event, due to
current COVID-19 restrictions.
During the ride, they kept socially distant
while people watched and waved
from afar. Bilski reminisced about how in
years prior, he’d buy thousands of candy
canes, drive in diff erent neighborhoods
as Santa Claus and give kids with their
parents the candy.
“We gotta adapt to the changing times,”
he said, adding that kids still need some
kind of entertainment and fun.
Th e event showcases one of the ways
people in Queens are fi nding creative
ways to celebrate the holiday season as a
community.
“It looks like these parades are going to
start to become a tradition,” said Bilski.
“Everything is for the children and the
community. Bringing a smile to at least
one child and allowing them to dream,
that’s all that matters.”
Councilman Robert Holden applauded
the event and organizers.
“Th anks to the Kiwanis Club of
Glendale, East Coast Car Association,
those who participated, and especially
to Glendale’s very own Santa, Michael
Photo courtesy of Michael Bilski Bilski!” he wrote on a Facebook post.
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