Lookin' fine in cars that shine

COEUR d'ALENE - Ferraris, Lamborghinis and a smorgasbord of flashy supercars will be cruising into town this weekend for the third annual Cavallinos in Coeur d'Alene Weekend event.

Starting around 5:30 this evening, members of the Northwest Region of the Ferrari Club of America and other exotic car owners will arrive at The Coeur d'Alene Resort where the community can get a sneak peek at the sweet rides that will be on display Saturday and Sunday.

The Ferraris in the Park event begins at 9 a.m. Saturday. Coeur d'Alene City Park will be filled with Ferraris and other high-end automobiles that fall into the $300,000-or-higher price range. This free event welcomes families, children, grandparents and curious citizens to get up close and personal with these eye-catching cars and the people who drive them. Visitors will also be able to vote on their favorites in the people's choice award contest.

At 11:30 a.m., the cars will parade through town and go on a 110-mile drive around the lake, stopping in Rockford Bay and Harrison. The cars will be back in Coeur d'Alene by midafternoon.

"The most interesting thing about it is people think they're unobtainable," said Tom Sparks, event coordinator and founder of Cavallinos in Coeur d'Alene. "They're not."

He said the drivers will be promoting "stay in school" and "follow your dreams" messages, using the cars as avenues to relate to awestruck youngsters that anything is possible, even owning their very own Ferrari.

"When they open the door of their car and they have a young person get in there, the look on their face is priceless," Sparks said. "These car people are dedicated to hard work. They will use their cars often as an example of what's possible in life if you have goals and have the patience to meet them."

The All-European Sports Sunday event begins Sunday at 9 a.m. in McEuen Park, where locals and visitors will show off big-name brands such as Porche, Jaguar, Maserati, Alpha Romeo and more. Winners of several categories will be announced at 11:30 a.m. followed by the All European Sports Sunday Parade on Sherman Avenue at noon. The parade will end in Riverstone Park.

Sparks said about 150 cars will be on display throughout the weekend. The newly added Sunday event will cost $25 per car entry, with proceeds going to Children's Village.

Sparks is a member of the Ferrari Club of America as well as a resource officer at Woodland Middle School and the owner of Precision Pointe Mobile Traditions in Hauser. This is the first year Cavallinos in Coeur d'Alene will expand to three days and serve as a charitable event. Sparks' experience with cars and kids drove him and the other organizers, who are also school resource officers, to create an event that combined those elements to support Children's Village. Children's Village is a local nonprofit that provides services for neglected, abused and homeless children as well as those who are experiencing crises.

"We're aware of the service they provide the community because we work with the kids in the schools," Sparks said, adding that this event provides a great opportunity to raise funds for the organization. And Sparks said the participating car clubs and drivers are all on board to happily support Children's Village.

"Kindness is never for nothing," he said. "When you are showing kindness for someone, everyone else wants to do the same thing.

"People are generally good, and they flock to a good message and want to be a part of it. These car drivers are not any different."

Info: www.cavallinosincoeurdalene.com