A hot rod charity event in support of Bacchus Marsh Hospital has been cancelled over fears that hoons would gatecrash it.
Steve Costa, organiser of the free annual Costa Panels hot rod barbecue, called off the fundraiser last week and said a more suitable and safer venue had to be found.
The event, due to be held last weekend, has been a regular fixture in the community for 15 years.
Mr Costa said it had raised money for ancillary items for the hospital.
“We used to hold the barbecue every year, but we’ve had to cancel it for the second consecutive year because it has started to get out of hand,” he said.
“As the event got bigger, it attracted that Holden Commodore crowd and (illegal) racers, and we had people doing doughnuts everywhere and it was getting dangerous.”
“It began as a barbecue for our customers outside the workshop, because we used to work on most of the cars of nurses and staff at the hospital, we decided we could raise money for Bacchus Marsh Hospital.
“We raised enough for small things that the hospital might not otherwise have money in the budget for; things like televisions for the waiting room or a coffee machine.”
In recent years the barbecue had grown to attract more than 100 vehicles and hundreds of visitors, including illegal road-racing groups.
“In the early years, about 30 cars would show up and customers would come in with their families for some food,” Mr Costa said.
“It was just a fun day out. The only rule was that you couldn’t come without a car.
“It all started off as a bit of fun when people would do a burnout as they were driving off. But as the event got bigger, it attracted that Holden Commodore crowd and (illegal) racers, and we had people doing doughnuts everywhere and it was getting dangerous.
“They would be doing these doughnuts and there would be women and children nearby.
“It was being treated as a drag-racing meet instead of a charity barbecue.
“We tried to tell them to stop and we’d speak to the police about it and they would come down.
“We even moved the event to another location, but they just found us and they’d show up again.”
Mr Costa says he will continue to search for a better venue so the event can be revived.
Fundraising vital for hospital
Djerriwarrh Health Services chief executive Andrew Freeman said the support of the Bacchus Marsh and Melton communities was paramount for Djerriwarrh Health Services.
“Official hospital fund-raising initiatives are vital for Djerriwarrh,” he said.
“While it’s unfortunate that this informal charity event has had to be cancelled in recent years, ensuring the safety of the local community should be the number one priority when hosting events of this nature.
“We support the decision of the organisers to suspend the event on public safety grounds.”
