Like many successful ventures, this one started at the local coffee shop. Seeking new ways to draw customers, a coffee shop owner placed an ad in the hometown newspaper. The ad was answered by a couple who had the idea of gathering with friends every week to display their classic cars, enjoy the camaraderie and, hopefully, bring business to the coffee shop. Several Sunday afternoons and specialty coffees later, the car club earned its name: Cappuccino Cruisers.       

Since its inception in 1995, Ray and Chris Marchese, along with sister Patty Wyckoff, have welcomed dozens more classic car buffs to the club. They’ve also dedicated the club’s efforts to community service—collecting nearly $200,000 worth of donations over the past 21 years. The funds are donated to local organizations such as Twin Lakes Food Bank and the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. 

“We agreed from the start to host events that would benefit local charities,” says Ray. “Soon we discovered the local food bank, which serves many families, so we hosted a toy run. When we called the food bank to tell them we had canned food, toys and money for them, they couldn’t believe it. They referred to us as their angels.”

This past December, the Cruisers held their 21st annual “Christmas is for Kids” Toy Drive where approximately 150 classic cars were on display and the event proceeds—two truckloads of toys and more than $300 in cash—benefited the Folsom Police Department’s “Helping Families in Need” program.  

The group’s weekly events have become a summertime tradition in Folsom. Each Wednesday evening from April through October, the Cruisers gather to show a collection of pre-1974 cars, trucks, street rods and customs. Free to the public, the casual cruise-in nights bring a nostalgic atmosphere to town, much like in the movie American Graffiti. “We look at our cruise-in nights as community and family-oriented events, where you might go out to grab a bite to eat and then take a walk down memory lane,” Ray explains. “We play rock ‘n roll music from the ’40s through the ’70s and some from the early ‘80s as well, and give out awards and raffle prizes. Our cruise-in events have grown to be Northern California’s longest-running and largest of the kind.”

One of the group’s beloved benefactors, the Folsom Zoo, is the site of their annual May Family Day event, scheduled this year for May 29. Sponsors provide funds to enable the Cruisers to purchase and give away 600 passes for families to enjoy a fun day among the animals. Two additional events that families won’t want to miss this year include Tribute America on June 29, which pays tribute to all of those who protect and serve our country, in addition to a large fund-raiser in late July to benefit local causes like the Zoo, Folsom Police Department’s K-9 and Mounted Patrol units, Twin Lakes Food Bank and the Folsom Public Library.

By Janet Scherr // photos by Dante Fontana

For more information, visit capcruz.com.