CCJ history

One day, at a Jeep event known as “Jeepfest 2014”, Mark and Candie attended as spectators. They both had a “want” for a Jeep, but hadn’t taken the dive…. YET.
That night, they decided to go by a Jeep dealership and Candie fell in love! That Sunday, they signed the papers on a 2007 Silver JK. She was beautiful!

They joined several Jeep groups on Facebook and attended numerous events, traveling 2-3 hours away. They purchased gently used mods from others, generally 2-3 hours away. Over time, the frustration of traveling so far just for dinner or to pick up parts began to take it’s toll. They inquired with a very large Jeep group in Georgia about starting a chapter, but the admin wasn’t on board with branching out.

On July 8, 2016, Candie was lying in bed and couldn’t sleep. She knew she wanted to start a Jeep group, but had no clue for a name. Finally, about 1am, she created “Cherokee County Jeepers”. She invited all the local Jeepers she had met over the past 2 years, which became the founding members. Within 5 days, we had 113 members and continued to grow!

As with every group, this one needed a logo. What better way to decide on a logo than to have a logo contest? Several members submitted suggestions.

On July 17, 2016, we had our first meeting at (FKA Semper Fi Bar and Grill) and our logos were created, technically we have 2. An official and unofficial.

Over the years, it was Mark and Candie’s mission to help the community and create friendships amongst people who shared a common interest – Jeeps! We’ve helped Wreaths Across America, Cherokee County Senior Center, CASA/ Children’s Haven, Goshen Boys Ranch, The Humane Society, Susan G Komen, hosted several Back the Blue Rides where we gave gifts of appreciation to local law enforcement, and much much more! We’ve hung thousands of lights on Jeeps and thrown probably a literal ton of candy at parades. We’ve traveled thousands of miles to ride trails all over the the USA including Moab, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, the Carolinas and more! We’ve collected Jeep Badges of Honor. We’ve split bread together, celebrated losses of loved ones, and even had a couple of newlyweds come from CCJ! We’ve seen best friends formed and supported each other’s triumphs. Most of all, we’ve created memories. And it all started with “one day at a Jeep event”.