Corvettes converge to rev up charities

July 20, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

AUSTINTOWN

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but as far as Steve Kosik is concerned, you could safely assume that a license plate’s lettering and numbering convey valuable sentiments about a car worth thousands.

“A lot of people ask me about the year,” the Toledo man said, referring to his black 1991 Corvette convertible, which sports a personalized license plate that reads “CRUZN91.”

The lettered portion captures Kosik’s love of cruising in his vehicle, something he did for nearly three hours to get to Sunday’s 21st annual Mahoning Valley Corvettes Club’s car show at Greenwood Chevrolet, 4665 Mahoning Ave.

An estimated 150 to 160 Corvettes and steel cars made up the six-hour fundraiser, noted Dan Lyden, president of the 53-year-old club with about 45 members.

Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Canfield-based Silver Lining Cancer Fund Inc. as well as Students Motivated by the Arts, a community-based art school that provides music, theater, dance, creative- writing and visual-arts classes to students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12.

“We don’t make money to make money. We try to help people out,” said Mike Sodomora, event chairman.

Sodomora, who owns Mike’s Prestige Detailing in Youngstown, noted that about $2,000 was given away during last year’s car show.

Kosik, a 1967 North Lima High School graduate who served nearly 10 years in the Navy, said he’s anything but shy about showing his eye-catching car, which is his third Corvette. The vehicle has a 350-cubic-inch engine, the original paint and a bright-red interior; it also gets an estimated 26 mpg on the highway.

“I love to show it; it’s my hobby. Every year I like to dress it up,” said Kosik, who’s a member of the Toledo-based Glass City Corvette Club, and drove to Sunday’s show with his wife, Donna.

Corvette fans who came to see a variety of styles, body designs and bright colors probably did not leave disappointed. The show featured everything from a 1956 model to a 2016 Corvette, noted Doug Lawrentz, the local club’s governor.

Attendees who love vintage vehicles also had plenty to look at and discuss. A sampling included a 1954 Chevrolet with 38,800 miles and most of the original interior; a green, two-door 1969 Chevrolet Camaro with a 375-horsepower, turbo-jet engine; a two-door, 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air model with plenty of trunk space; and a beige 1983 Oldsmobile Regency.

Also on display was a lime-light-green 1969 Plymouth Sport Satellite with a 383-horsepower engine that Mark Wesolowsky of Austintown bought for roughly $3,400.

“I touched it up once in 1985. Other than that, everything is original – the bucket seats and the roof,” as well as the wood-grain doors and steering wheel, noted Wesolowsky, who served two years in the Army, including 11 months in Vietnam.

Wesolowsky also pointed to the spacious trunk, in which was the original bill of sale showing that he had put down a $25 deposit on the vehicle. Next to that was the original 1969 license plate with a white background and blue lettering.

Another special feature to Wesolowsky about his Plymouth is when he bought it: May 9, 1969. That’s because his son was born 10 years to the day after the purchase, Wesolowsky continued.

Sunday’s show also was special to Rebecca L. Keck, Students Motivated by the Arts’ executive director.

“They’re incredibly generous and they’re really a reflection of the community,” said Keck, adding that SMARTS worked with about 150 students per week during the 2014-15 school year.