The Dream That Became Tradition

The first two CARDIAC Car Shows were held in the parking lot of what was then the Houston Mall, just miles from today’s location on North Houston Road. The late Chip Malone was the announcer, indicating the show’s activities and trophy winners with his "trademark energy." Many of his former students, friends, and co‑workers volunteered each year, helping the show grow from a dream into a tradition.

It was the suggestion and guidance of a former fifth‑grade student that was the president of a car club that helped anchor the annual Chip’n Away @ Heart Disease CARDIAC Car Show. For ten years, the Freaks of Nature Middle GA car club stood beside us, steadying the road after Malone's 2010 heart transplant. Now, into our fourteenth year, the vehicles are still rolling in.

Engines echoed as cars approached the mall in those early years. With pride and excitement, he looked at me and repeated a line from Field of Dreams (1989): “If you build it, he will come.” But, with his own twist, he said: “If you build it, they will come.”

That simple shift speaks to the heart of what I want to capture. It was never just about one dreamer, a heart transplant recipient, or his family. It was — and still is — about a community. Families, drivers, and supporters continue to come together, proving that vision built with heart draws people in and keeps them coming back.

Saturday, November 1, 2025 Photos: The 14th Annual Cardiac Car Show – Houston Home Journal

CLICK HERE TO VIEW: Members of the International City Corvette Club (IC3) and host of this year's show led drivers onto the show field, November 2025.

To Your Health, Cynthia Malone