Tony Warino of New Orleans cleans the window of his 1957 Chevy Bel Air hardtop to get ready for the Big River Classics Show and Shine. The event features 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevrolets and will take place today at the Vicksburg Battlefield Inn. (Meredith Spencer The Vicksburg Post)

[9/4/04]]Come for the kids. Stay for the cars.

That’s the message of Big River Classics car club members as they host the sixth annual Show and Shine in the back parking lot of the Vicksburg Battlefield Inn.

The kids are the ones at the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson. The club raised more than $4,000 last year for the hospital and hopes to top that number this year.

The cars are 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevrolets, known as “tri-fives” in the car club’s slang.

More than 50 of the cars, some worth well over $100,000, will be on display today until dark. The event is free and open to the public.

The car club will raffle a T-shirt autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his crew. Tickets are $2 each.

Raising money for the children’s hospital is even more important that enjoying the cars, said Larry Holder of Madison.

“You never know when the next dollar you raise is going to be the one that provides a cure,” Holder said.

Only a few shows across the nation feature “tri-five” cars, said Jessie Buckley of Florence. The ones that do attract a dedicated group. Buckley compared shows to a family reunion.

“We see the same people at these show. They’re really, really nice,” she said.

Car enthusiasts from as far away as Texas and Oklahoma will be in Vicksburg, Buckley said.

They will be ogling cars that are nicer than they were when they came off the assembly line, said Holder. Many have such modern amenities as digital display, power steering and powerful stereo systems.

“They’re better than they were, but as far as looking at it, it’s showroom stock,” Holder said.

Getting the cars to showroom condition takes a lot of money, Holder said. New engines and paint jobs are a significant investment, he said, but the biggest expense is recreating the famous Chevrolet bumpers.

Four categories will be judged: unrestored, restored, contemporary, modified and custom.

Holder said his 1957 Chevrolet was the first car he purchased after he was discharged from the military. Part of thrill of the cars, he said, is the nostalgia.

“These cars really belong to people that come look at them,” he said. “These old cars have a lot of memories for a lot people.”