Cars & 'Q For The Cause Set For April 29

SANDY SPRINGS, GA – The 8th annual Cars & ‘Q for the Cause, a popular car show hosted by Choate Construction, will pull up to the curb of the company's Sandy Springs headquarters later this month.

The event, which supports the Georgia Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at its offices on Roberts Drive.

Well known for its combination of stellar cars, great barbecue and music, this spring event is just one of many fundraisers created by Choate employees to support their already full-throttled fundraising engine.

This year’s Cars & ‘Q for the Cause will feature a continuous pour of local brews including Lagunitas, The Unknown Brewing Company and Second Self Beer Company; food from Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q; and live music, a silent auction and more than 100 classic cars and bikes.

New this year will be a Road Rally, ending at the show. The event draws over 700 fans with tremendous support from a variety of groups including car lovers, the real estate community, young professionals and the cystic fibrosis community.

Some of the 2017 prized rides include multiple award-winning cars, such as a 1932 Duesenberg (which took home top honors at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance), a 1967 Ferrari 330 P4, 1974 Lamborghini Urraco S, 1933 Ford Victoria Street Rod, and a 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H.

Choate Chairman & CEO Millard Choate began supporting the cause to find a cure for cystic fibrosis more than 27 years ago when Leann Rittenbaum, the best friend of his daughter, Emily Bridges, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a toddler.

According to the Mayo Clinic, cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition that inflicts severe damage onto the lungs, pancreas and other digestive system organs. In those without the disease, the fluids secreted from cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices are thin and slippery.

However, for those with cystic fibrosis, the secretions are stick and thick, and these liquids block tubes, ducts and passageways, particularly in the lungs and pancreas, the Mayor Clinic adds.

Bridges, now marketing director for Choate Construction and the owner of a classic 1969 Camaro, shares her father's enthusiasm for both finding a cure and classic cars by chairing the event.

Each spring, Choate employees make community service and fundraising a top priority through internal fundraising and events like Cars & ‘Q for the Cause. To date, Choate Construction has raised over $2.5 million for cystic fibrosis research.

“Each year, we pack our parking lot with over 100 drool-inducing rides, local brews, barbecue and entertainment, and party with the driving purpose of funding a CF cure,” Emily Bridges said. “We’re hopeful the CF cause speaks volumes to our attendees."

Bridges added the company raised $255,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation during the 2016 event. The Foundation seeks “to cure cystic fibrosis and to provide all people with the disease the opportunity to lead full, productive lives by funding research and drug development, promoting individualized treatment, and ensuring access to high-quality, specialized care,” according to the organization’s website.

"The Foundation has been making incredible progress on this front, and we won’t quit until CF stands for 'Cure Found'," she added.

Tickets for the April 29 car show can be purchased in advance for $20 for event entry and dinner and $40 for entry, dinner and access to the bar.

Prices rise to $30 and $50, respectively, if they are purchased at the door. Choate's headquarters are at 8200 Roberts Drive. Parking is free. For more information visit the event website or email carsnq@choateco.com.

Image via Shutterstock