SOCA president Ron Howard reflects on club's 50 years in the Rogue Valley

MEDFORD, Ore — In June of 1974, seven friends who shared a love of cars and all things Corvette decided to make things official. That’s when the Southern Oregon Corvette Association (SOCA) was born. Now, 50 years later, over 100 members and their 4-wheeled companions will gather at the Bear Hotel in Grants Pass to celebrate 50 years of fun, fundraising, and friendship.

Club president Ron Howard stopped by Sunrise this morning to talk to Natalie Sirna about his experience with the club, and what makes it special. Howard says his favorite experience so far was at the 2022 Corvette Weekend. The annual event is the signature event for SOCA, that sees people from all over the country flock to Southern Oregon to congregate and raise money for charity. At that particular Corvette Weekend, Howard served as the event chairman, and therefore had the honor of presenting a check for $18,000 to Candlelighters For Children With Cancer, which is one of the numerous charities that SOCA supports.

There are two more opportunities in June to see members of SOCA showing off their prized Corvettes: June 28th-29th at the High Desert Car Show in Bend, and also on June 19th at the All Wheels Show in Cave Junction. SOCA will also be featured in Eagle Point’s 4th of July parade. For a full list of appearances and events, and to find information on how you can join, visit the SOCA website or their Facebook page.