Car show raises money for breast cancer

Fred Segal showed off his pastel-pink 1953 Lincoln Continental Mark III on Sunday, while a… Fred Segal showed off his pastel-pink 1953 Lincoln Continental Mark III on Sunday, while a mannequin decked out in a pink shirt and tight black pants sat in the passenger seat with a tray of plastic food and a Coca-Cola.

His car was one of a dozen that lined up on Bigelow Boulevard this weekend for the Panther Racing Club’s car show to raise money for its sponsor, Feel Your Boobies. Feel Your Boobies is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide women with knowledge and resources to help them fight breast cancer.

Panther Racing Club member Tom DuPree suggested the idea of aligning the club with the charity because of his mother’s work with breast cancer.

Pitt alum Dr. Beth DuPree is a comprehensive breast care surgeon for Holy Redeemer Health System in Southampton, Pa. She wrote the book “The Healing Consciousness: A Doctor’s Journey to Healing” and came out to the event on Sunday to support the cause.

Dr. Dupree challenged club members to “raise money for something bigger than [the club].” She has promised to match the team’s donations to Feel Your Boobies with her own donation to the organization.

Senior mechanical engineering major Steve Karkenny proposed the idea for the car show, inspired by the Pittsburgh Vintage Gran Prix held annually in Schenely Park. When he suggested using the show to fundraise for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the beginning of October, the group immediately began searching for interested organizations.

A BMW dealership dropped off a 2012 Mini Cooper to display, and Bill Airgood, a senior mechanical engineering major, brought his Goodhope Speedway first-place-winning go-kart to the event.

Segal, an attorney in Squirrel Hill, brought his award-winning Lincoln to the show after hearing about the event from a fellow member of the Triumph Sports Car Club.

“I just [come to car shows] for the fun,” Segal said.

Segal serves as a national judge for Lincoln, Packard, Triumph, Nash Car Club and Model A4 car shows, helping to determine which car wins each event.

Marty Boyer, a 21-year-old resident of Shadyside, and Dave Daniels, a 20-year-old resident of Philadelphia, were enraptured by the Mini Cooper. They stopped by the show out of curiosity.

“We saw this on the side of the road,” Daniels said, who used to restore cars with his father.

In support of Feel Your Boobies, the club sold copies of Dr. Dupree’s book and T-shirts for $10. The group also sold koozies, pins, stickers and magnets at the tent set up in the middle of Bigelow Boulevard.