Rockwall Cars and Coffee brings together vintage hot rods, modern sports cars and custom builds in the parking lot of Cavender Nissan of Rockwall on the third Saturday of every month. The monthly gathering is free to the public and supports a different nonprofit each month. One hundred percent of the proceeds from August’s event will go to Texas Valor Project, a nonprofit that provides critical neurorehabilitation and support to veterans and first responders who have experienced brain injuries and trauma.
Rockwall Cars and Coffee was created in April 2024 by TJ Embree, a local car enthusiast. According to Embree, the sponsors of Cars and Coffee are the main reason they are able to host the gathering.
“All the sponsors support the entire thing,” Embree said. “Instead of charging for people to come, our sponsors donate money to support. That’s how this whole thing can happen.”
Cars and Coffee Rockwall has more than 30 sponsors, including local businesses, fitness centers, home service contractors, and automotive shops.
While each month’s event supports a different cause, Cars and Coffee Rockwall’s core mission is to provide continuous support for disabled and homeless veterans and neglected or abused children. This includes a partnership with Patriot PAWS, an organization that trains and provides service dogs to disabled veterans at no cost. Donations and purchases of merchandise at Cars and Coffee Rockwall fund these community organizations.
Cars and Coffee Rockwall also has a long-term goal of building a tiny home community for homeless veterans.
“These men and women, who have served our country so bravely, now face challenges in finding stable housing and basic support,” Embree wrote on Cars and Coffee Rockwall’s Givebutter page. “Our vision is to provide a safe, supportive environment where they can begin to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.”
Brandon Pugh is the owner of a 1971 Chevrolet Camaro who has attended many Cars and Coffee events around the DFW metroplex. He used to attend Cars and Coffee Plano, but found he likes the size and community of Rockwall more.
Pugh has owned the Camaro for 23 years and notes its similarity to a Corvette.
“The ’70 through ’73 Camaro has round taillights like the Corvette, and so I think that the back end of this Camaro just looks so special,” Pugh said.
Embree encourages car enthusiasts like Pugh to check out the event every month and interact with a community of like-minded people, all the while benefiting a good cause.
“It’s a family event,” Embree said. “100% of everything we do goes to charity. We don’t keep anything, we don’t charge anything, and we don’t pay ourselves. Everything you spend money on or support goes right back to the cause.”
