Just one week before the fundraiser, I was asked to help support Hartlie—a beautiful, brave 9-year-old girl battling terminal cancer.
The Cars for Hartlie fundraiser took place at El Mirage Elementary School, where Hartlie is a student. The turnout was incredible—over 470 cars of every make, model, and year filled the school grounds. It was so packed that streets had to be closed to make room for everyone who came to show support.
So many people pitched in to make this day special. Rich Krasner went above and beyond, collecting more than 25 raffle prizes and generous monetary donations. John Leep and Phil worked tirelessly and did an amazing job organizing. Volunteers, including Hartlie’s teacher Ms. Popoff, gave their time and hearts to the cause. The Mini Motorcycle Group and Dwarf Cars made an impressive showing as well.
The car club Intruders, led by their President Jimmy Arbizu, came out strong with a $5,575 cash donation and a large TV for the raffle.
Jim Ballard from Window World brought a custom Hot Rod golf cart for Hartlie to cruise the show and pick her favorite cars. He also delivered a $5,000 donation to help the family. Many other clubs contributed generous donations, showing the true spirit of giving.
DJs Greg and Donnie Mather donated their time and kept the energy high all day.
The support from the community was overwhelming. Mayor Alexis A. Hermosillo and members of the El Mirage City Council came out to show their support.
This beautiful day was filled with compassion, love, and generosity from every corner of our car community. Rod Loveless even decorated his Camaro just for Hartlie. Together, we raised an incredible $39,000 to help her family with mounting medical expenses.
I’m forever grateful. I truly love our car community—we are more than enthusiasts, we are family.
– Nancy Perry
Photos by
Rod Loveless