Cruisin’ on Main – Past, Present, and a Better Future

1,000-plus vintage vehicles.  30,000-plus attendees. And despite the massive turnout we’re expecting – perhaps what our team at Carter of Manchester is MOST excited about is our ability to help several amazing causes to spread the word about all of the good they do. AND to help a little Eight-year-old girl change the world. Read on.

Being the new guy, I’ve never taken part in . But I looked at it as a great opportunity to give back. Our management team at Carter Chevrolet decided that we’d already paid the sponsorship fee…so why not let others take advantage of our space?

I’ll chat about the other organizations in a second…but first – I want to share with you the story of a young lady who is inspiring those around her. 

I’m talking about Natalie. She and her other “Tigers” will be coming out to raise money for a special cause. When Natalie was just seven-years-old doctors thought she had appendicitis.

She didn’t. She had cancer.

Natalie had a 7cm cyst on her ovary. This beautiful child was diagnosed with Stage 2 Ovarian Cancer and had to have her right ovary and tube removed…at just seven-years-old. The cancer spread through her stomach walls, and this January she completed chemotherapy.

This little girl and her nine-year-old sister are coming out to break the silence about the disease. They’ll be selling lollipops and lemonade…and hope to help raise awareness about this silent and deadly disease. 

Before Cruisin’ on Main Sunday morning, Natalie and I will be interviewed together on WFSB at about 8:45a.m. I hope you’ll tune in to hear more about her story.

The CT Chapters of the American Cancer Society and the MS Foundation will also join us at Cruisin’. During my time as a Producer at NBC Connecticut, I was blessed with the opportunity to work extensively with both of these organizations.  The awareness they raise and the causes they support are incredible...as is the dedication of their team to finding cures.

If you’re a Harley fan…you’ll want to stop by and see the crew from Wishes on Wheels. Keith Herzig and his wife Shari run a group that brings together the trucking industry to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, serving children with other life-threatening illnesses. They’re raffling a 2012 Harley Davidson to raise money for the cause. Over the next few days, we’ll have more information about their cause on our website.

Bob O’Donoghue and another volunteer from Operation First Response will be on hand as well. OFR raises money to support those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan...providing support for the troops and their families enduring financial hardships stemming from their injuries.

And finally...we’ll be hanging out with our friends from Patch. They’ll have a tent set up at Carter Chevrolet so you can finally meet the faces behind the scenes.  Not only are they a cool crew...but they’ve even ironed their tablecloth to impress you. That’s pretty good considering I struggle to even iron my shirt in the morning. True story.

(Editor's Note: No tableclothes were ironed for this blog post.) 

Cruisin’ on Main runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Click here for more information on the event.

I really hope you’ll stop by Carter Chevrolet and show your support. Sometimes it’s refreshing to take a moment and meet those who work so hard to make the world a little bit of a better place...and inspire others to do the right thing.

Kyle S. Reyes is Director of Marketing for Carter of Manchester.