Once again, a small group from the Chicagoland MG Club and the Vintage MG Car Club of Chicago was pleased to be invited to participate in the Peds in the Weeds Picnic sponsored by Advocate Children’s Hospital. Peds in the Weeds is a chance for children who are battling cancer and their families to get out and have some family fun while letting the kids be kids for the day. Families are invited to enjoy; magic tricks, carnival games, face painting, therapy dogs, music, Disney and Star Wars characters, ziplines, hotdogs, watermelon, lemonade, ice cream AND taking a spin in cars from the MG Clubs!

Volunteers from the Vintage MG Car Club and Chicagoland MG Club assisting with this year’s event.

We were honored to participate in this year’s volunteer event. Due to space limitations for parking and driving only five to eight cars take part in the event each year. Patients and their families are welcomed to sit in a car, take a photo or selfie, and have a ride around the forest preserve area where the picnic is held.

Many of the participants said that their children really look forward to the car rides each summer and they had been hoping that “the cars” would be here again. One little guy took rides in four different MGs! It was wonderful to see so many happy smiles as the young ones buckled up to take rides in our beloved British cars. Despite the sun and heat our drivers drove tirelessly for hours and everyone who wanted a ride got a ride! Eight club cars, in a variety of models and types, gave close to one hundred rides! What a great day to be part of!

A BIG thank you to Kerry Hickenlooper for her time and effort in organizing the CMGC and VMGCC members who volunteered for the event.

~~ Jean Heasley