By Nila Harris
One day while Gary Veirs was serving in the United States Army, in Germany, he went to the PX, ordered a ’69 Chevrolet Camaro, and picked up the car once he was stateside. He enjoyed the car, but had to make the tough decision to give it up when he started his family.
Veirs laughingly recalled how his wife Brenda once informed him that “This is not a family car.” Brenda had been broken down in Falmouth with their little daughter Tonya. “Two people had to hold onto the car and stand between the Camaro and parked cars,” Veirs remembered.
Twenty years later, Veirs looked for that car. He never found it, but did come across a similar ’69 Camaro SSRS with 350 horsepower. Veirs restored the vehicle and claimed that it is close to the original one. His brother, JK Veirs also had a muscle car---a ’69 Camaro Z28. The two brothers would take their cars to car shows together, then later, cruise-ins. They shared their cars and their passion for nostalgic cars. One cruise-in that the brothers attended annually was the Butler Lion’s Club Cruise-in. They did this every year until JK’s death in 2019.
On Saturday, July 29, from 5-8 p.m. at the Butler Community Center, the Butler Lion’s Club will host their 31st cruise-in. Veirs is the organizer of the event and has been for the past several years. He is especially grateful for all involved and says, “Our sponsors are absolutely tremendous.” This fun event is the club’s biggest fundraiser. Veirs is hoping for 50-75 cars but was pleasantly surprised at last year’s event displaying 105-110 vehicles. Which will be their biggest turnout ever!
Monies earned from the event will be used to fund the club’s activities. Last year, the Butler Lion’s Club participated in 28 activities. One activity they are known for is funding eyeglasses for needy children. In addition, they provided screenings for 200 students at Northern Elementary, and 225 at Southern with a state-of-the-art vision screening. Club volunteers assist in the screenings. There are boxes around the community to collect old glasses. Eye glass companies can take old glasses to make new ones. 166 pairs of glasses were collected last year. And they provide glasses. Any family who needs this service may contact Gary Veirs or a Lion’s Club member. Check out their Butler, KY Lion’s Club Facebook page to message the club for assistance.
The Lion’s Club will be participating in a Student Health Fair on July 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sharp Middle School. They have also participated in River Sweeps to clean up the Licking River and its banks. They have built wheelchair ramps and repaired areas of the nature trails at Sharp and Southern Elementary. They even cleaned up a cemetery!
Come on out to the Cruise-In on July 29th at the Butler Community Center. Enjoy some beautiful cars, nice people, and support a worthwhile cause—The Butler Lion’s Club. There will be dash plaques awarded to the first 50 people who arrive. And don’t forget the food, drinks, games, and music. Cruise on back in time and enjoy a bit of nostalgia!