Residents of the Verde Valley greeted the arrival of many versions of Santa Claus on Christmas morning, but only one of them arrived on a motorcycle.

His real name is Luis Guevara. He moved to the Village of Oak Creek seven years ago, having renounced his past involvement in street and prison gangs in the Phoenix area. Six months ago, he co-founded Classic Treasures Car Club with several friends.

What began as a simple show of three cars in Ace Hardware’s parking lot has quickly grown, taking on a charitable emphasis. Events in the Village and McGuireville have attracted crowds and received commendations from the cities, but the crowning achievement was Guevara’s creation of “Cruising and Blessing,” an event focused around the adoption of a needy family on Christmas day.

It started with a simple inquiry. Guevara and his fellow co-founders, Bill Meyer and Ruben Machado, contacted Emmanuel Fellowship in Cottonwood in order to find a family in particular need. Their question came back with an answer.

To read the full story, see the Friday, Jan. 2, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.