The third annual Hope With Horsepower car show raised more than $2,500 Saturday

The third annual Beacon For Hope Hope With Horsepower Car Show was packed Saturday in Soden’s Grove.

The third annual event, aimed at raising awareness and support for experienced mental health services, saw a strong turnout of more than 50 vehicles on the day.
Locally, car shows have become an increasingly popular way for organizations, particularly Beacon, to raise mental health awareness throughout the community.

Melissa Owen, executive director of Beacon, says Hope With Horsepower is one of several events that help reduce stigma. She explains that in addition to helping others open up and share their stories, the car show shows that just because a topic is “very hard” does not mean that the events at which it is discussed are Energy must correspond.

Participating in Saturday’s event, with two vehicles on display, was St. Mark’s Lutheran Church pastor and veteran Kent Happel, driving his father’s 1951 Nash Rambler and his own 1969 AMX. He says the event is important not only because of the stigma it helps break down, but also because of the message it sends to all participants, especially veterans: “You are not alone.”

He says that knowledge alone can help break down many walls.

This year’s Hope With Horsepower raised more than $2,500, capping off a busy two weeks for Beacon with the first annual Rage Against the Stigma and Celebrities in Disguise events held this past weekend.

Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News