Young Marines Help Local Heroes Plan Hot Rod Rally

Bill and Pat McGarry are passionate about cars, and also about serving the country as members of the Marines. This weekend they’ll have a chance to combine both of those passions during what they hope will be the beginning of a new Wilmington tradition.

On Sunday at 2 p.m. behind Knights of Columbus, hosts its first annual hot rod rally thanks to the planning efforts of Bill and Pat, who returned several years ago from active duty in Afghanistan.

“They just know what it’s like to get a package from Local Heroes, and wanted to help the mission and help the kids coming home,” said Veterans’ Agent and Local Heroes founder Lou Cimaglia. “Bill and Pat come down just about every Wednesday (to Local Heroes) and talk to the younger guys coming home from duty. They’re trying to help me get kids integrated from military to civilian life. They’re very passionate.”

The event takes place behind Knights of Columbus Hall and costs $25 for car owners who want to display their vehicles. Anyone interested in just coming down as a spectator can pay a $10 admission, which also pays for a cookout lunch.

AAA Tire, where the McGarry brothers work, is the main sponsor of the event, which Cimaglia hopes will continue for years to come.

In addition to raising funds for Local Heroes, Sunday’s event is also a symbol of why the is important in the bigger picture.

Cimaglia said that, especially in the wake of in recent weeks for incidents potentially resulting from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it is critical for returning soldiers to find something they’re passionate about.

“You can’t save them all, and unfortunately we’ve lost some in Wilmington to a few different things,” said Cimaglia. “But Local Heroes steps in as a tool not just for sending care packages, but for giving these kids the opportunity to get together, be there for one another and help each other get back into civilian life.”

In addition to veterans helping each other out, Cimaglia said residents can also make the transition process easy for soldiers with one simple action.

“We have to remember again what these veterans have been through, and we have to help them,” said Cimaglia. “It never hurts to stick your hand out and say ‘thank you for your service.’ I’ve talked to soldiers who said they’ve been home for six months and already feel like people have forgotten about them. So it really does go a long way.”

There will be hot rod rally t-shirts available for purchase on Sunday, and Cimaglia said he’s already received donations from those who can’t attend but want to support the first annual event.

Cimaglia said it’s difficult to predict what the crowd will be like for a first-time event. Still, he has a hunch that it will be another in the long list of successes organized by the non-profit group.

“Every event we run for Local Heroes seems to be well-attended, and I’m expecting the same here,” said Cimaglia. “The buzz around town is that people are looking forward to it. It sounds like a broken record, but little tiny town Wilmington really does support its troops and hopefully Sunday will be another example of that.”