VIDEO: Car Enthusiasts Collect Food For Local Pantries

GUNTOWN, Miss. (WCBI) -Some hot rod enthusiasts wanted to show the true meaning of Christmas by collecting food for local food pantries.

More than 75 hot rodders were on hand for the annual Chrismas time Cruise-in at Rooster Restoration in Guntown, which featured cars from the 1930’s through the mid-1960’s. Michael Mann is the owner and event organizer.

“We do a lot of automobile restoration,” said Mann. “We just like old cars. There’s a group of old guys and younger guys too that like build these old cars and like to show them and have a lot fun. And it’s just a passion we have we share. We just like old stuff and we just a great time.”

“Hot rodding and classic cars I mean that’s really the last piece of American history. And these cars these days they don’t even add up to what these are. It’s kind of like it’s starts out like a hobby and turns out to be an obession you know.”

Like Mann Travis Kitchens owns his own hot rod shop in Guntown and owns 24 classic cars.

“I grew up in Southern California in the late sixties,” said Kitchens. “And of course that’s where we did the cruising and it was all about the hot rods and things. When I was a kid I loved getting model cars putting them together. And it’s just a lot of satisfaction of taking something that’s really rough and making something and making where you can drive them.”

To show how serious these guys are, the owner of this 1930 Buick actually installed a vintage phonograph with a record that was the number one hit of that year.

While it was fun swapping stories about cars, Mann says the primary purpose of the event was to help prevent people in the community from being hungry during the holidays.

“We contribute food can goods to food pantries that are local.”

And Mann, who pastors a The Mathiston Church of God in Mathiston Mississippi says this food collection is what Christmas is all about.

“Christian service is very important. And I think the core of Christianity is to love, love your neighbor. And I believe by giving to food pantries or whatever cause that you can do to benefit others, other than focusing on yourself is the mission that Christ has sent us out to do and that’s what we want to do.”

Mann says when he finishes restoring this hot rod, he is going to take it on the road to share his faith.

Mann plans to go all the way to Niagra Falls in his restored hot rod.