Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Matt Cizek

matt.cizek@winchestersun.com

Whether you drive a Cherokee, Wrangler, Gladiator, or some other model of Jeep, there’s a place for you in Winchester

Starting at 6:00 pm each Tuesday night at Reggie’s Bar and Grill located off of Clubhouse Dr., a large gathering of Jeep enthusiasts who make up Central KY Jeep Crew (CKYJC) gather to dine and have fellowship,

“We founded the group to just unite the Jeep owners in Central Kentucky, to do good will and give back to our communities,” said Philip Medlock, who co-founded the group approximately three years ago along with Mickey Rhodus. “We started [with] just a few close friends meeting there,the last few times we’ve had maybe 35 to 40 people show up.”

CKYJC also has a philanthropic streak.

In the past, the group has participated in several benefit drives in different communities around central Kentucky.

This includes gathering supplies two consecutive years for Galilean Children’s Home in Liberty with over 100 Jeep’s and 200 individuals making the trip, while also working in tandem with Winchester’s Bluegrass Crawlers Jeep Club to provide pet food to humane societies.

Most recently, in conjunction with a club named Southern Misfits and a handful of others from the area, the group was involved with a Memorial Day parade in Independence and supported the military by driving with banners on the sides of their Jeeps to honor fallen soldiers.

“It was probably about 80 Jeeps, and it was just beautiful,” Medlock added.

In the future, the group hopes to continue their charitable efforts by putting together what they hope will be the largest Jeep parade ever seen in an effort to pay respect to fallen veterans at Camp Nelson National Cemetery in Nicholasville. The target date is December 17.

With so much planned to do, it’s comforting for the group to have found a spot for gathering in Winchester.

“The gentleman who runs the place for Reggie’s, [he and his wife] are so friendly,” Medlock said. “We just wanted to try to bring them more business.”