Cars for a Cure raises over $30K for Sylvester Cancer Center; next event set for April 3-5 2020

Plans are already underway for the 6th annual Cars for a Cure event as the concert for cancer survivors at Hialeah Park and the classic car show on Main Street were successful in raising awareness and money for the deadly disease.
Cars for a Cure organizer Roberto Alonso Jr. said this year’s event raised more than $30,000 and all of the proceeds will be donated to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami.
Alonso, whose father Miami Lakes’ first vice mayor Roberto Alonso Sr., founded the original classic car show on Main Street, said next year’s event will be scheduled for Friday, April 3 with concert at Hialeah Park, and Sunday, April 5 for the car show.
During the 5th annual Cars for a Cure Alonso said about 3,000 people attended the concert for cancer survivors, and 3,000 people attended the classic car show on Main Street where more than 500 cars were on display.
He said about 500 cancer survivors with free passes attended the concert and thanked Alonso’s family and the Brunetti family, which owns Hialeah Park, for the event which celebrated their survivorship.
“It was great seeing them enjoying the concert,” Alonso said. “They also enjoyed the car show.”
The cars and the participants were the most in the event’s history, Alonso said.
The concert featured 1980s and 1990s music legends such as Erotic Exotic, Man Trap, Coro, Angel A-Love and D.J. Santana.
Next year’s concert will feature different music genes for different generations of music lovers.
The car show featured entertainment by local county singer Ricky Valid and Man Trap, performing in the popular Beer Garden.
Alonso thanked his sponsors the Graham family and the Brunetti family for their support and allowing him to use their venues for the events.
“We are grateful and blessed to have their sponsorship,” Alonso said. “The events celebrate survivorship of cancer and raise money and awareness to fight it. The events brought two great communities, Miami Lakes and Hialeah, together for a great cause.”
Alonso also thanked Country Club of Miami Community Council Vice Chair Alex Rizo, Jr., for his support for Cars for a Cure.
The event has inspired a documentary as Hialeah Park and students at Westland High School are preparing production work for the film Alonso said.
The documentary will debut at the Main Street Play House and the high school students plan on presenting it at the film festival.
Alonso said cancer has touched so many lives, and the documentary focuses on the challenges for people fighting cancer and interviews with cancer survivors and their fight to stay alive.
“My father’s challenges led to the concert and car show events, and not a documentary,” Alonso said.
Roberto Alonso Sr., succumbed to cancer and his family is grateful to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center for treating his illness which allowed him to live a year and half longer.
“That’s important,” Alonso said. “My father got to travel all over the world and enjoyed life. That was so important to him and my family.”