Jul. 5—River Rats Car Club celebrates 10th annual Car Show
By Jed Nelson
We’ve heard the stories of groups or individuals who set out to accomplish a goal yet believed that future success was unattainable. Sure, they wanted to be successful and work towards it — giving it all they had got but knowing that nothing in life is certain.
But sure enough — if the universe is on their side — these stories, these people, they end up achieving success despite the idea of it being blurred from the start.
It’s the athlete who came from nothing yet achieved it all. The musicians that live and tour in the back of vans for years before stepping foot on a main stage or tour bus.
These stories of success can be seen all around the world or in small towns that just so happen to be right in your backyard.
For the River Rats Car Club, they are one of these stories.
Sitting down with President John DeVries and Vice President Mike Huffman, they said that when they started the club in 2010, they did not give much thought into the future success of the club.
“We were just a group of guys in the garage on Friday nights messing around with cars,” DeVries said. “One of the guy’s said ‘Hey, why don’t we have a car show.'”
DeVries and Huffman took that idea and ran with it, and the River Rats were born.
“We didn’t put much thought into being successful in the beginning,” Huffman added. “We started calling ourselves the ‘River Rats Car Club’ and the same guys kept showing up. We paid our dues and started getting more involved. That led to us making a name for ourselves.”
The club is made up of 20 members, each one holding a special passion for what the club does.
“With the money made from the car show, we had to decide what to put it towards,” DeVries said. “We decided on the veterans. Most of what we do is for the veterans and the community.”
“We’re just a group of guys that help each other,” Huffman said. “We help one another with our cars or other projects. This is a way for us to promote car culture.”
Members of any group expect to become close to each other — to forge bonds that not only are built on the club’s interests, but bonds that last outside of the group. One area that DeVries and Huffman have continued to strengthen is family inclusion.
“We’ve tried to make the car show more family oriented,” DeVries said. “We hope that young kids see nice cars and want to have those cars in the future or join a club.”
With members from Austin, Lyle, Rochester, New Richland, and other surrounding areas, one does not have to even have cars to join the club.
“We take in enthusiasts,” Huffman said. “Some people don’t have cars; they just love the culture of it.”
In August, the club will be celebrating 10 years of their River Rats Car Club Car Show at Lafayette Park in Austin. The car show will honor those who have and continue to serve our National Guard and Reserves.
“It’s a big deal,” DeVries said.
“To keep something rolling that long is quite an accomplishment,” Huffman added.
The show will surely be fun for all ages, as it will feature food, games, prizes, a beer garden, crafts, a bounce house, and other vendors. Music from DJ Todd Kriehn and the Rockin’ Hep Cats will also be a feature of the show. Other kid friendly opportunities include Hot Wheels Races and free train rides.
“We’re looking to have a breakout year and do better than the year before,” Huffman said. “That’s always our goal,” he added.
Huffman stated how each year the show features at least 200 cars, but that it’s always nice to try and get 300.
“We’re just trying to get our name out there more and more and to recognize and raise money for our charities,” Huffman said.
Speaking with DeVries and Huffman, it’s clear that the River Rats are more than just a car club. They are a group that takes pride in helping others in and around their community.
The River Rats have a hand in several charities, events, and projects. They put on car shows for senior citizens in Adams at the Senior Center and at the Cedars of Austin. They also do a car show in Dexter and at Austin’s Freedom Fest. The group also travels to be a part of parades in neighboring towns during the summer months and the River Rats also play a part in the fight against cancer, offering their time and donations to both Austin and Lyle Area Cancer.
Perhaps you’ve seen American Flag disposal boxes at Legions, VFWs, or other local businesses in the area. If so, it’s possible that they were built and donated by the River Rats.
“We’ve donated 16 of these blue boxes that look like mailboxes,” Huffman said. “It lets people dispose of flags properly.”
With the 10th annual Car Show happening in August, DeVries and Huffman reflect on the importance of the group.
“It just gives you a good feeling of being a part of something,” Huffman said. “To be recognized as being in the River Rats and receiving praise for our events is fantastic.”
DeVries stated that with the club’s reputation, their car shows are looked at as some of the best in Minnesota, next to the Back to the 50s Weekend car show that features more than 10,000 cars.
“It feels great to put it on for the city and to give back,” DeVries said.
DeVries, Huffman, and the rest of the River Rats members are the faces of the group. But they say the real glue that holds them together are the many women that work behind the scenes.
“The organizational skills of Rhonda (DeVries’s wife) are amazing,” Huffman said. “We like to say ‘guys’ all the time but the women hold it together. They’re the rock behind it.”
The River Rats Car Show will take place on Saturday Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lafayette Park in Austin. Help the River Rats celebrate their tenth annual car show and look out for them cruising around Austin Friday night before the show.
“We’re excited to get everyone together and for them to be a part of our community,” DeVries said.