To wake up one day to hear that someone you love has passed away, is one of the most heart-breaking pain you can ever feel. Then pain is magnified when you are a young child such as Kirstie, 11, and Corey, 14, hearing their mother gently tell them their father, Eddy, had passed away.
Eddy Duchscher died in 2002 due to brain cancer.
Duchscher was the biggest car fan around, attending many cars shows near and far, with his children by his side.
In 2017, Kirstie and Corey decided to carry on their father’s legacy and start the Eddy Duchscher Memorial Car Show in Wilkie. The Wilkie Delta Co-op donated the use of a parking lot.
The first show had 34 vehicles register. This year’s show, held June 23, saw 47 entries that included all types of vehicles and bikes from many communities in and around Wilkie and area. The downtown core of Wilkie was busy, as part of 2nd Avenue was closed off to display the vehicles.
The show wasn’t only about cars, as the Wilkie Elks were serving up burgers and refreshments courtesy of Country Ford and Wilkie Delta Co-op. Country Junction filled the air with music, there was face painting, the “balloon man” was there and, most importantly, donations to Saskatoon Cancer Clinic in Eddy’s memory were accepted. The family was able to give $700 in his memory.
The crowd also had a hand in picking out the winners in various categories. They were Alison Leslie, Arlan Dresser and Rocky Kuntz. Kirstie and Corey, family and friends are already planning next year’s show.
At the car show was displayed Eddy Duchscher prized blue Pontiac Firebird.
To mark the end of the Eddy Duchscher Memorial Car Show, the people who attended with their vehicles were asked to cruise through the Wilkie Cemetery to show off their rides in Duchscher’s memory. The procession, instead of being somber and melancholy, was that of life and colour.
