@marquedofficial

“Cars,” says Chris DiJorio (@chrisdijorio), “bring people together.” In March 2020, that was a problem, but also, for Chris, an opportunity. As the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the world, and as other humans suddenly became everyone’s greatest fear, DiJorio – along with his wife, Kelly (@kellydijorio) – went the opposite direction and decided to start a social club for automotive enthusiasts in Westhampton, New York, a club dedicated to bringing people together. In person. Face-to-face. You know, like normal humans. The DiJorios named their social spot Rally Point East. Prior to March 2020, Rally Point East may have been a good idea, but it hardly would have been remarkable. By 2019, these sorts of automotive hangouts – blending car storage, lounges, and frequent events – had been a growing industry around the country for nearly a decade. But in March 2020, as toilet paper was disappearing from store shelves and as the English language was taking a beating at the hands of new linguistic clunkers like “social distancing” and “shelter in place,” the DiJorios’ plans seemed less like a bright idea than a harebrained scheme. The full story on Rally Point East's approach to building community during the era of COVID is live on Marqued, link in bio • #Marqued Photos by @hagop Words by @aaronwmckenzie