Cardigras on a roll for charity

Car enthusiast Rohan Robertson has been running events for 40 years, with his most prominent event being Redcliffe’s Cardigras.

Cardigras is a monthly car show that showcases classic and old-school cars for charity; with this year’s events supporting Raise it for Redcliffe Hospital.

The car shows first started in the heart of Redcliffe, but have now expanded beyond the City of Moreton Bay to different parts of South East Queensland.

“Cardigras itself transitioned in 2020. Originally, we were known as Hotrods for the Homeless; and the idea behind that was to raise funds for The Breakfast Club here in Redcliffe,” Rohan says.

The idea for the name change came after a friend of Rohan’s told him his events were “just like Mardi Gras with cars.”

The driving force behind Cardigras is to give back to the community.

“The purpose of Cardigras is to bring the community together and to give people that have got classic cars the opportunity to get them out on the road, bring them along to an event and have people be able to enjoy the car scene,” Rohan says.

“The charities that I’ve chosen are close to my heart… I like to give back, and what better way to do it. The cars are a community, they bring people together.”

Entry to every Cardigras event is a gold coin donation which goes directly to charity.

Rohan’s plan for Cardigras in 2024 is a little bit different, with a few new projects on the horizon.

“The Cardigras event at the uniting church in Redcliffe, we’re looking at turning it into what is called ‘Redcliffe Rumbles – muscle cars, markets and music’,” Rohan says.

“I’m in discussions with Shannon’s Insurance about the possibility of getting Shannon’s Super Rig, which is a v8 simulator, along to at least one of the Cardigras events this year.”

Rohan also plans to venture out to Morayfield on the second Monday of each month for a different event called ‘Cars and Coffee – Bikes and Brekky’ at Foot in the Door Café.

The event will start on February 12, from 8-10am, and will raise funds for Foot in the Door Training, who provide new skills, qualifications and careers for students.

To find out more, visit cardigras.com.au