Comfort Keepers of Traverse City celebrated the National Day of Joy with a joyride.

The organization partnered with Hagerty to offer six local seniors the opportunity to cruise in classic cars on June 28, 2023.

“I have not had a chance to ride anything like this for a long, long time, so I thought it would be a lot of fun. And it has been. It’s been beautiful,” Jeff Lane, a participant and car enthusiast, said.

Lunch was provided before the variety of vintage vehicles left the Comfort Keeper’s office. The joyride took participants up Old Mission Peninsula and ended the cruise at East Bay Park.

Hagerty leadership provided cars from the insurance company’s private collection and volunteer drivers for the event.

Lane said it was nice to see people wave and acknowledge the unique event. He appreciates everyone involved in organizing the cruise.

Russ Knopp, co-owner of Comfort Keepers of Traverse City, helped with logistics of the event.

“The thought came to me about a joyride. We’ve all got great memories of being in cars, and the light bulb came on over my head,” Knopp said.

According to a press release sent out by the Comfort Keepers, the National Day of Joy was officially registered with the National Holiday Archives in 2019. The holiday is celebrated on the last Wednesday in June.

Knopp said Comfort Keepers has participated in the National Day of Joy for five years.

The organization celebrates differently each year. Knopp said in the past they’ve given gifts to their clients and family portrait for their caregivers. This is Comfort Keepers’s first car cruise.

Knopp describes the car cruise as a ripple effect of joy.

“You see how happy they are all right now, and they’re going to be going down the road, making people happy along the side of the road while they’re waving and smiling, and then they’re going to go home and tell their family and friends about it,” Knopp said.

Knopp commented that the joyride worked really well and the Comforter Keepers will have to come up with something just as exciting for next year.