On Saturday, Sept. 28, the fifth annual Joey’s Fund Charity Classic Car Show roared into Closter, and it was a spectacular event!
The bright sunshine overhead gave an even more brilliant sheen to the magnificent cars assembled in the parking lot of St. Mary’s Church on Legion Drive.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there were 140 vehicles in a vivid assortment of manufacturers, models and engines, ranging in age from turn-of-the-century to present day, and running the gamut of colors from neon purple to electrifying orange.
Joey’s Fund is an New Jersey-based 501(c)3 Charitable Organization dedicated to helping families with kids that have excessive medical expenses.
Tony DeCarlo, founder and president of Joey’s Fund, is also the proprietor of DeCarlo Landscaping Contractors in Tenafly.
“Our assistance includes helping to pay utility bills, various living costs, direct medical costs, and other necessities that arise when kids get sick. It is in my son Joey’s memory that we proudly operate this Charity.”
The Joey’s Fund Charity Car Show was again a splashy and fun-filled event that drew hundreds of families and car owners from all over New Jersey and New York. In
addition to the yearlong planning by Tony DeCarlo and his wife, Cathy, the event is made successful because of outstanding coordinators and numerous volunteers.
Besides the cavalcade of cars, there were trucks with food, ice cream and cotton candy, and children enjoyed a bounce house and face painting.
Volunteers sold dozens of raffles that offered great prizes, including Giants tickets, Jets tickets, Knicks tickets, a Weber grill, a 43 inch LG HDTV, certificates for restaurants, sessions at fitness studios, jewelry, and much more.
Disc jockeys from Black Magic kept lively music going all day.
By noon, as the show’s momentum accelerated, the National Anthem was sung by Theresa Carlomagno, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
People of all ages strolled through the show’s expansive vista that included several vintage Fords, a Willys Jeep from World War II, a 1937 Plymouth Business Coupe and a 1964 Austin-Healey 3000 MKIII, and many other awesome autos.
Amongst the vast array of cars was a 1967 Checker Taxi Cab that originally charged riders 10 cents a mile and had authentic NYC street signs next to it that read “Broadway” and “42nd Street.”
The owner, Red Castner, said, “I fell in love with this taxi the minute I saw it. It was parked outside the Northvale Diner, so I immediately went in, found the owner and offered to buy it on the spot.”
Another popular car that drew throngs of kids was the fire engine red Monkeemobile, a modified Pontiac GTO that was designed and built by Dean Jeffries for The Monkees, a pop-rock band and television program in the 1960s.
After the judges surveyed all the outstanding entries, at 3:30, DeCarlo announced the trophy winners as the crowd applauded.
The importance of Joey’s Fund
When asked why Joey’s Fund has so much personal meaning, DeCarlo speaks with great emotion. “My family and I started this fund in honor of our son Joseph DeCarlo, who passed away from cancer in 1986 at the age of 2. At that time, we were the luckiest family—as a result of an experimental treatment, we were able to have Joey in our lives for an additional year and a half!”
He continued: “I was always interested in cars, so I combined this hobby with my wish to commemorate my son and to help others by creating a car show… This fund is dedicated to easing the challenges that parents face when caring for a child suffering from a life-threatening illness. While insurance covers most medical expenses, there are so many unforeseen costs that are not covered.”
These financial burdens include expensive insurance co-pays, prescription drug fees, lost wages, gas, tolls, parking, food and many other daily expenses.
“We have experienced the struggle and stress of this first hand and it is our turn to pay it forward,” DeCarlo said.
Admirably, over the years, thousands of other people have joined the DeCarlo family in paying it forward with their donations and participation in the annual Joey’s Fund Car Show.
After the show, DeCarlo said, “At this year’s event we raised over $7,000! That combined with online donations will enable us to donate $20,000 to Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City. Joey’s Fund would like to give a huge ‘thank you’ to all of our generous supporters!”