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The Cruisin’ Crew rides to Salem’s rescue

SALEM — The Super Cruise will see a return of the Cruisin’ Crew next year, Gene Johnson said.

“I am putting our Cruisin’ Crew back together for the Super Cruise. This is a great event and many do not want to see it go away. The Cruisin’ Crew will do the cruise,” Johnson said, adding they will keep the four-day format as it enters its 14th year.

With the main staging area in the municipal parking lot in the 500 block of E. Pershing Street, across from Boneshakers at the Timberlanes Complex, the Super Cruise is an award-winning festival of street rods, hot rods, chrome and glitter and the largest ongoing event in city history.

The event is free to the public and brings out large, diverse crowds during the long weekend run.

The Mahoning Valley Corvette Club took over organization and promotion for the 13th Super Cruise but opted out for 2019 saying that while it struggled with the decision, it realized it had “too many commitments to do them all justice.”

In the past, the Super Cruise has had major backers like the Flynn Auto Group, Kufleitner Auto Group and Performance Trucks located in New Waterford in the sponsorship mix.

The Super Cruise will retain the Second Harvest Food Bank in Youngstown as its primary charitable beneficiary with 100 percent of the proceeds to benefit the Columbiana County food pantries who participate during the weekly summer cruises in the Boneshakers’ parking lot, Johnson said.

“There are seven right now,” Johnson said.

Mayor John Berlin’s administration will manage the event which many observers have noted brings a “hand-in-glove fit” through its ability to marshal utilities, traffic control and safety through city hall.

Johnson said, “We will bring back the Super Cruise T-Shirts, the four-day 50/50 raffle, a special big auction item, and the Saturday morning car care radio show with a car show afterwards.”

He noted, “We’ve always had trouble with the lighting” and one big improvement will be placing a 30-foot light pole with speakers and permanent power to the pole in the center of the lot from a nearby junction box.

The Cruisin’ Crew will also get a big boost with ad space selling with Mary Walker, Michelle Greenamyer and Dave Weingart pitching in.

Johnson said the Saturday WKBN radio morning car care broadcast will return and the hosts will do the judging for the car show that follows.

The ever-popular garden tractor pull will return.

The Super Cruise will again kick off on Thursday night with the mayor’s command of “Cruisers, start your engines.”

Johnson said, “I am working on some other things to add to event and waiting on some confirmations before we announce them.”

Berlin said earlier in the month, “The Super Cruise has raised plenty of money for charity. The city is prepared to do what it always has with police, electric, water, and sanitation.

“We’re pretty much able to do that for anyone who wants to come forward and do the judging and things like that.”

Berlin said all the vendors want to return.

lshields@salemnews.net

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