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Memorial car show for murdered Surrey man moves to Aldergrove drive-in theatre lot

The annual Bradley McPherson Memorial Show & Shine will be hosted at the Twilight Drive-In lot.
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Photo of Bradley McPherson and his truck, named “Emma,” at the Burnouts in the Sky charity event held at Cloverdale Fairgrounds in 2017. (File photo: Kieran O’Connor/Black Press Media)

A car show that memorializes a Surrey murder victim is on the move from Cloverdale to the Twilight Drive-In lot in Aldergrove.

The annual Bradley McPherson Memorial Show & Shine remembers the man killed at a Newton house party in 2011.

The charity gathering, previously known as Burnouts in the Sky, has been held at Cloverdale Fairgrounds over the past six summers.

“After months and months of searching, disappointments from other locations due to scheduling issues… we finally have an exciting venue!” the charity posted to Facebook recently.

“We are being hosted at the historic Twilight Drive-In in Aldergrove, just off Fraser Highway,” the post read.

This year’s car show is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17.

READ MORE: Burnouts in the Sky returns in honour of Bradley Mcpherson

Last November, event organizers said they were searching for a new location for the car show, and also sought to find a new name for it, to avoid a perception of “young hot-rodders being silly” at the gathering.

“It’s about bringing families together, raising money and getting kids these scholarships,” said Sue Simning, Bradley’s mother who founded and coordinates the event.

The show, which includes live music and close to 200 vehicles on display, raises money for a scholarship in McPherson’s name.

The money is reserved for high school students who struggle with attention-deficit disorder, like McPherson did, and also for budding mechanics.

RELATED: Life sentence handed to killer of young Langley man

At age 28, McPherson was shot to death in the early hours of Christmas Eve in 2011 — at a house party in Newton, he confronted a male guest who was harassing a female party-goer. Last April, Russell Bidesi was given a life sentence for the crime, and isn’t eligible for parole for 15 years.

This year’s show will feature the kind of cars and trucks loved and appreciated by McPherson, who was fond of doing burnouts in a charcoal-coloured truck he called “Emma.”

“We’re excited to have it at the drive-in because it’s probably some place Brad would have cruised through in his truck,” his mother added.

“Fire up your engines boys and girls and get ready for a fantastic show this year.”