CVA History

 

Colorado Van Association was formed in December, 1973 by a small but dedicated group of vanners.  They wanted to have more than one club in the Denver area, to create competition at local events, truck-ins and rallies.

The Charter Members that first night made selected the name "Colorado Van Association", and drafted some guide lines for C.V.A.  The members were Al Romero, Dave Cox, Mark Madrill, Andre Roy and Dick Hug.  Several of the charter members were previously members of Rocky Mountain Vans.  Al Romero was part of the group that organized the first National Truck-In, held at Tiger Run, Breckenridge, Colorado.

The first temporary officers appointed were Al Romero, President, and Dave Cox, Vice-President.  When the club grew large enough to hold regular elections, Dave Cox was elected President; with Tom Bowen as Vice-President, and Al Romero as Public Relations - while continuing his role as NSVA Colorado Representative.  Clint Dizmang was elected Treasurer and Dede Bowen, Secretary.

The first full year of C.V.A.s existence (1974) was a full year of organization and planning.  They accomplished a lot, including the addition of a club newspaper - Colorado Van News, in the hope that the paper would bring area clubs, as well as clubs throughout the country, more closely involved with Colorado.

The first CVA Truck-In was called Woodie Boogie, and was held the week before the 2^nd National Truck-In, at Adams County Fairgrounds north of Denver.  Several van clubs met at Woodie Boogie, including West Coast Vans and Sin City Vans, and caravanned to the national event in Kansas City.  Woodie Boogie could well have been the first Pre-Nats party!

The summer of 1975 saw the first rally put on by CVA.  The event, then called It’s a Rally became the inspiration for Colorado’s longest running annual van event, the April Fool’s Rally, which, to this day is an annual rite of spring for local vanners.

December of 1984 brought the first of the mid-winter van events.  Spaghetti Dinner has been held every year since, and is where local vanners can catch up on what has happened over the winter, and begin to plan for the vanning season ahead.

Since the beginning in 1973, CVA members have participated in four National Truck-Ins and two Council of Council events held in Colorado.  The loss of great vanners and the addition of new, has kept the club strong.  CVA is now seeing a new generation of vanners, as children and grand-children are beginning to get vans of their own, which will keep vanning alive.

Colorado Van Association is the largest remaining club in Colorado, and at the end of the day, the truth comes out through the club’s theme song: “We’re Not Dead Yet”!