For the love of the bug

Erika and Kevin Burgess with their VWs.

Blessing of the Bugs is Saturday.

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief. 

This Saturday, June 7, a unique group of car enthusiasts will gather at Pizza Barn Plus in Scottville where their cars, vans and probably dune buggies, will receive a blessing. It is the second annual Blessing of the Bugs and it is meant for those who have a love of the German-made Volkswagen.

The “bug,” of course, is a nickname for the popular VW Beetle, a car that pretty much had the same design from 1938 until 2003.

Kevin and Erika Burgess are second generation VW owners. Kevin grew up with his parents owning VWs. When he was 16, they bought him his first Beetle, which he still owns.

“It’s a 1974 VW Beetle,” he says. “I braved my first winter driving that thing with no heat. When a friend put her foot through the rusty floor, it was time to fix it up. I put a new floor in it and also painted it.”

Eventually, he added a 1973 VW Type II Microbus to the fleet. “I rescued the Bus from years of sitting in a field.”

Kevin, who works for Dusty’s Auto Body, spent many hours after work fixing up the Bus. They also own an extra Bus and a few extra Beetles for parts.

“I remember Kevin driving the Beetle in high school,” Erika says. “I thought he was so cool for having such a unique car. One of my first vehicles was a VW Jetta. It wasn’t nearly as fun as his Beetle but it was still a VW and it was an excuse for me to talk to him before we started dating.”

Kevin and Erika say they would like to someday get a VW Squareback, “maybe for our kids’ first car.”

“Almost everyone has had a VW story to tell at some point in their lives,” Kevin says.

The Blessing of the Bugs is organized by the Northern Mitt V-Dub Club. A car show will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a $5 entry fee and trophies will be given out after the 4:30 p.m. blessing. Following there will be a cruise to Stearns Park Beach in Ludington. For more information click here.