"We were all car enthusiasts and wanted to be able to give back to our community. So we thought, what a better way than to do a charity car show," said Don Ferrier, one of the founders of Cars For Cancer, an annual charity car show in Muskegon County that has raised more than $400,000 over its 20 years.
All of the money collected each year gets donated to the Trinity Health Johnson Family Cancer Center.
The event first came about in 2005 and was held at St. Thomas Church in Muskegon. They then outgrew that venue and moved to the Trinity Lakes Pavilion. A few years ago, they outgrew the venue once again and moved to the Lakes Mall on Harvey Street.
"It started out at 250 cars, and now has grown to near 1000 every year," said Ferrier.
This Sunday and Monday will be their annual Labor Day car show and cruise. Starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, there will be live entertainment, food and an evening car cruise.
"On Sunday night, literally, there will be thousands of people lining that route, just supporting the Cars for Cancer cause," said Bill Hill, a promoter for the event. "It's really that enthusiasm that keeps us going."
Monday morning will see a pancake breakfast prepared by Knights of Columbus. The car show will include prizes and auction items provided by local businesses. A restored 1964 Ford Falcon Gasser will be raffled off as well.
Hill and Ferrier say everyone has been touched by cancer in some way. They take pride in the fact that all of the money raised will be used to support local families battling cancer, and those providing treatment in their own community.
"You don't think of it as a, you know, an ultimate total," said Hill. "There is no end goal for us. It's always just, if we can raise a few dollars more than last year, we're happy with that."
Hearing stories of how the money has impacted people over the years, they said they have also been the receivers of immense generosity. They received memorial funds for past participants who have passed away, as well as funds from people wanting to dedicate money for cancer treatment and research.
"We started out as just a bunch of car guys getting together and doing the little bit that we can, and it's kind of snowballed into a whole community event," said Hill.
The event runs from Sep. 1-2 at 5500 Harvey Street at the Lakes Mall.