Revving up support

By Kelli Comer

Out of devastating grief, a beautiful tradition began with the inaugural Breaking the Stigma Car Show in 2023. That tradition will continue in 2024 with the second annual show on Saturday, June 8.

“Our event is the result of a tragic loss in our family,” Breaking the Stigma Car Show’s Assistant Executive Director Alexis Vince says. “On April 26, 2022, my little brother Corey Stewart took his life by suicide. My father Joshua Stewart, myself and our family wanted to do something positive with our grief, so no other family had to feel the pain we did.”

In 2023, Breaking the Stigma donated $6,500 to NAMI Lake County, Ohio to help fund programs and advocate for suicide prevention, including free resources for those suffering from mental illness.

“Corey is our reason to spark change in the mental health community,” Alexis explains. “We want everyone to know that it’s ok to not be ok. 18 months after Corey passed away, we lost my dad’s best friend Eric Brininger to suicide, adding more passion to our cause.”

The car show will be held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Painesville Township. The 2023 event had more than 300 people in attendance and featured more than 150 vehicles. Several food trucks, local business and small business vendors also set up shop in the merchant building.

All makes and models are welcome to the car show. Registration and fees are collected at the car show entrance the day of the show.

Breaking the Stigma is seeking sponsorships for the 2024 event. For more information, visit BreakingTheStigmaCarShow.com.