Benefit car show planned Sunday in North Lima

Staff report

NORTH LIMA

One man, two businesses and the four guys from the cable TV show “Fat N’ Furious” will help with a benefit car show Sunday for a woman fighting a battle with cancer.

A local nurse approached Gene Johnson, Arby’s Car Cruise organizer, in the spring to ask if he would be willing to host a benefit for Debbie Grover, a Canfield resident, who has cervical cancer that is progressing. Johnson said he agreed to host a benefit car show with Arby’s Car Cruise to help Grover raise money to pay off her mortgage.

The show will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at Mr. Darby’s Antique Collectible Emporium, 11734 South Ave.

Both Mr. Darby’s and Pizza Joe’s in town will be helping Johnson with the event. It will cost $5 to enter a vehicle in the show. The event also will include a 50/50 raffle drawing, auction, trivia and plaques for the first 50 vehicles to enter. Johnson said Arby’s Car Cruise also will hand out 15 trophies to the best cars.

Robert Neapolitan, owner of Mr. Darby’s, said to expect the four guys from “Fat N’ Furious,” a Discovery Channel show, to ride into the event about 2 p.m. on a firetruck. He said they will be signing autographs and taking part in a pizza-eating contest.

“They’ll also bring in a special present” for Grover, Neapolitan said.

Neapolitan said he hopes to see 250 cars come to the event.

“I want to have a traffic jam,” he said. “We hope to get a lot of support from the community with the event. It’s a great cause. You got somebody who has served in health care like [Grover] for 25 years helping people. Now it’s our chance to help her.”