On the second anniversary of retired fire captain Randy Piticco鈥檚 death, his widow received a 鈥済ut-wrenching鈥� blow.
Already a day of non-stop tears for Marilyn Piticco, the Walnut Grove woman found herself driving to the cemetery, bawling as she learned her 21-year-old stroke support group was in jeopardy.
It won鈥檛 close, she insisted, but the 91原创 Community Support Group鈥檚 Hope After Stroke program took a fierce hit just days before Christmas.
LCSG is one of the core charities that annually receives funding from the 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In.
Among the recipients are five main charities of choice: Piticco鈥檚 91原创 Community Support Group, Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association, 91原创 Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the Boys & Girls Club of 91原创, and Legacy Water Search and Recovery.
In 2016, the show raised $46,200 for local charities. And in the show鈥檚 20-year history (only missing 2010, when the show was cancelled) they have contributed in excess of $1.3 million to 91原创 non-profits.
This year, however, that amount was almost a third of the previous year and one of the lowest fundraising years on record, explained past-president and long-time Cruise-In executive member Riccardo Sestito.
The biggest financial hit came because of a lack of sponsorships. There were fewer big sponsors this year who stepped back, wanting to see how changes to the show shook out, Sestito said.
In past, it has been the sponsors who have always covered all the costs for putting on the event, he elaborated. That, in turn, left all the money raised from the likes of souvenir sales, registrations, the In 鈥橬鈥� Out Burger contribution, and the swap meet to go to the charities.
That wasn鈥檛 the case this year, Sestito elaborated.
Plus, he explained, there were increased costs associated with a brand new location for the show 鈥� Cruise-In relocated from downtown 91原创 City to Aldergrove for the first time this year.
鈥淪adly, we knew we were going to be short this year,鈥� Sestito said of the amount raised for the charities. But it was worse than even he expected.
鈥淚t made us kind of sick to our stomaches,鈥� he said. But Sestito quickly added that he鈥檚 confident things will be better in 2018.
Already, the Cruise-In committee is reaching out to past and new sponsors, and next year a lot of those one-time costs connected with the relocation will not be there, he noted.
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Counting on Cruise-In
The Hope After Stroke program鈥檚 donation from Cruise-In is usually between $10,000 and $12,000. This year it was a quarter of that, Piticco said.
鈥淲e have counted on Cruise-In for donations for over 15 years now, and operate our budget knowing that those funds will be coming,鈥� Piticco said.
The Cruise-In donation typically accounts for about a third of her organization鈥檚 annual budget, and she鈥檚 now scrambling to make up the $7,000-plus shortfall heading into 2018.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot of money,鈥� Piticco said.
She doesn鈥檛 blame the shortfall on Cruise-In or its directors, who Piticco insisted have been 鈥渋ncredibly supportive鈥漮f her program throughout the years. They鈥檝e faced some insurmountable hurdles in hosting the charity car show this past September with its new location in Aldergrove, she acknowledged.
And even prior to the show, she was anxious to put a personal face to what the car show means to 91原创, sharing her fears that this year鈥檚 Cruise-In grant could decline.
At that time, she issued a plea for car collectors to register and for the public to attend the fundraising event.
Sadly, the relocation of the show, topped off by torrential rains did further contribute to a drop in money raised by the country鈥檚 largest charity car show, Sestito confirmed. And, that shortfall just last week filtered down to the Cruise-In charities.
鈥淭hese are all charities that will suffer. My programs will definitely suffer,鈥� Piticco said.
Piticco runs two Hope After Stroke groups out of Walnut Grove Community Centre, and has received more than $100,000 in donations from the Cruise-In during the past 10-plus years.
Days before Christmas, she received this year鈥檚 donation from Cruise-In. It was $3,300.
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Year-end donations sought
As the year draws to a close, Piticco remains 鈥渆ternally optimistic,鈥� hoping someone might come through to help her group financially.
鈥淚 [am] hoping that somebody may want to do a donation before the end of the year,鈥� she said, admitting she hasn鈥檛 spent as much time in the past two years 鈥� since the loss of her husband 鈥� on fundraising 鈥渁s I have in the past and I feel terrible that it has now affected my group.鈥�
While this financial hit wouldn鈥檛 force her to close her program, Piticco insisted she鈥檒l likely have to dial it back and become more of a support group rather than a therapy-based program 鈥� which, she insisted, misses the point.
She offering reassurances to her stroke survivors saying 鈥減lease do not worry. We will not be closing the doors. You have my word.鈥�
Piticco started the stroke group in 91原创 more than two decades ago, after her own father suffered a stroke, couldn鈥檛 speak, and found himself isolated and unable to find the resources needed. She currently has more than 35 clients attending the weekly sessions.
She soon learned there were many others, just like her father, in need of support and assistance. That鈥檚 when she created what today is known as the 91原创 Community Support Group.
The group is designed to help stroke survivors integrate back into the community and rebuild their confidence in a therapeutic and social environment.鈥�
鈥淎ny assistance would be greatly appreciated and will be put to good use,鈥� she concluded.
Earlier this month, Lordco came on board as a new sponsor, and she鈥檚 hopeful that other local business and individuals 鈥� hearing this news 鈥� will 鈥渏oin us as we support the stroke survivors in our community as they recover and find hope after stroke.鈥�
For more information on the group, people can visit its .
