SALEM — The biggest event in Salem just added a new partner and dimension with the Mahoning County Corvette Club (MCCC) stepping on board to help organize the 2018 event.

Service Safety Director Ken Kenst manages the Super Cruise for the city and said, “There are things we can take care of and some we can’t … and that’s the cars.”

The Super Cruise attracts hot rods, street rods, custom and exhibition cars and trucks from all over the area, and is billed as four days of non-stop cruising with live, nightly entertainment.

Kenst credited Sam and Judy Sicilia of Salem for bringing the MCCC to the event. A club member, Sam Sicilia, is the spokesperson and will act in other organizing roles.

Gene Johnson and his wife, Jane, of Salem, along with the Cruisin’ Crew, have carried the lion’s share of Super Cruise operational duties for the past several years and have retired.

The Super Cruise and weekly car cruises at the Arby’s Restaurant have contributed thousands of dollars to local food pantries in Columbiana County and the Second Harvest Food Bank will be a beneficiary of the Super Cruise as it retains a charitable component.

Michael Iberis, executive director of the Second Harvest, said, “This event is one of the premier auto shows in the state. We’re honored and humbled to be chosen as an organization and we’ll make sure we’re good stewards of the money.”

Kenst said the Super Cruise is the biggest event in Salem.

“The mayor and I want it to grow as much as possible,” he said.

The 2018 Super Cruise will be held June 7-10.

Sam Sicilia said, “We are very excited about the Salem Super Cruise for next year. A lot of people are backing us up. A lot of cities don’t want to do this and we will work very hard with Salem.”

Sicilia agreed it’s the largest event in the city and expects it to be the largest in Columbiana County.

“The people I’ve talked to are very excited,” he said.

Mike Sodomora, president of the MCCC, said the club’s 112 members are drawn from the tri-county area with a good showing from Salem.

The club holds other events — its biggest is a car show at Greenwood Chevrolet in Youngstown — but Sodomora said, “This will be our biggest event ever.”

Mayor John Berlin said he “really appreciated the fact that the cruise has been successful” and credited Gene and Jane Johnson and the Cruisin’ Crew for that.

“We’re very happy the transition has been very, very friendly,” he said, adding “we’re hoping for business as usual. We’re just happy that we can continue this homecoming atmosphere and people continue coming to it.”

He said Kenst has been “the glue for the city” by taking care of everything “so it can run efficiently” and noted Sicilia has experience.

Mick Orosz, the vendor committee chairman, said, “I think it gets better every year. This list of vendors grows. Vendors want in.”

Kenst said, “We’re excited to get this started up and changed.”

Iberis said that for every $1 raised the food bank can provide five meals to a hungry person.

“So this helps stretch that money to help people who are struggling,” he said.

A bit of superstition has been added to the 2018 Super Cruise.

Berlin said that while it is officially being called the 14th Super Cruise it is actually the 13th.

Building architects skip the 13th floor and in auto racing the number 13, the color green, and to a much lesser-known extent, peanut shells on a garage floor, are all taboos.