Ninth annual Kunkel Cruise-in on tap Friday & Saturday
By ROBERT BRYAN
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 10:42 PM EDT
"It does bring back a lot of feelings, a lot of memories of Dave and his Corvette. Back to when we started dating and how interested he was in cars. It's also overwhelming to see all the people who come out to support this again each year."
Sandy Kunkel was reflecting on the annual car show that has managed to help keep alive the name of her late husband, David, who was senior vice president in charge of manufacturing and plant manager at The Ford Meter Box when overtaken by ALS.
The 2008 Kunkel Cruse-in, the ninth annual, is this Friday and Saturday at the Honeywell Center in Wabash. The fee to enter a car is $10 either day.
Proceeds go to the Muscular Dystrophy Association and to Vernon Manor Children's Home here.
Friday's is an open show, for cars and trucks only. Top 100. It will be from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., with awards at 9:30 p.m. There will be live music, a Kids' Corner, a silent auction, dining inside and out, and NSRA Safety Inspection.
On Saturday, the show will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with awards at 3:30 p.m. In the 38 classes, more than 100 awards will be given. In addition to the attractions and amenities from Friday, there will be an Herb Fest at Paradise Spring. On both Friday and Saturday there will be a model car contest, with both under-12 and over-12 divisions.
The annual show features numerous volunteers and is spearheaded by The Ford Meter Box Co. and its employees.
Dan Harvey of The Ford Meter Box Co. has been one of the chief organizers of the Kunkel show from the beginning.
"I'm kind of pumped up about this whole thing," he said. "We've got some very pretty cars, including a lot from Fort Wayne."
Others will come from Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan, and at least one from Canada.
Mrs. Kunkel remains exceedingly grateful to Ford Meter Box, Dan Harvey and the others, for the annual show. Pretty remarkable, considering that the show brings back some of her most painful memories along with some of her best.
"Best memories" include her early dates with Dave, when he would spend all day Saturday with a friend working on their cars, taking them apart, fixing them, washing and waxing. Many a date took Dave and Sandy to the Bunker Hill Drag Strip. Their first date, in fact, was to the time trials in Indianapolis.
In later life, Dave's prize possession was his 1965 Corvette.
"Most painful memories" include those involving Dave's gradual total loss of muscular control , which characterizes AlS.
It started with frequent falls, then other muscles began to shut down. One day he could brush his teeth, next day he couldn't. One day he could button his shirt, next day not. Once something was lost, it never returned.
Ford Meter Box flew him to New York to see one of the chief specialists. It was hopeless and inexorable.
In Kunkel's case the process was mercifully short - three months from diagnosis to death in late 1999 and early 2000.
Sandy in those tough times learned to rely on friends - and faith: "God is always with us."
Here are the sponsors of this year's show: Ford Meter Box, Wabash Rotary, Ponderosa, Schlemmer Brothers Metalworks, First Farmers Bank, M&B. Body Shop, United Tool Company, Wabash Electric, NPPA Auto Parts Peru, Total Works, Alumitech of Wabash, Kirtlan Automotive.
Also, Friermood Tire & Alignment, Car Quest, Dude, Where's my Buick, Borders and Beyond, Beacon Credit Union, Secondary Metal Processing, Midwest Eye Consuultants, Dan and Sherry Wakefield, Dan Ford, Denny Motor Sales, Dan's Auto of Wabash, Wells Fargo, J.M, Reynolds Oil Co., Steve Van Voorhis of Edward Jones Co., Richard Ford, First Merchant's Corporation.
Also Mike Timms, City of Wabash, Fastenal, Pettit Printing, South Side Supply, Rettig's Industrial Supplies, Dan Harvey, Bill Rettig, Brandit's Harley-Davisdon, Honeywell Center, Bertsch Vending, Old Kettle Saloon, Bob Mason.
Also, Crystal Glass and Exteriors, Wabash Realty, Dorais Chevrolet, Builders Mart, The Old Ones, Don Schumacher Racing, Miller Furniture, True Value Hardware, Auto Zone, MJV Group (Ford Meter Box Cleaners), and Thorne Insurance Agency.
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