January 2012 - The ALS Association Greater Sacramento

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How a car donation helped to fund the Chapter programs and services PAGE 10Not Just Any CarBy Julie (Pope) HintzEach family has their own traditions, heirlooms, customs and tales to passdown from generation to generation. A piece of jewelry, furniture, a treasuredChristmas trinket, photo albums, important documents, coin collectionsor even the family home, they’re all things that may hold some sentimentalvalue. We hold on to things that belonged to generations beforeus in an attempt to feel close to our family members. Usually those heirloomsbring with them memories. Memories capture special moments,feelings, a cherished time with a loved one, or even laughter at the thought of an inside joke. For my family, one ofthose prized possessions was a car, but not just any car.The year was 1969, and my Granddaddy purchased a brand new Buick Electra 225. It was decked out with whitewalltires, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and had a custom vinyl roof. This 2 door sport coupe had an antiquegold paint job, it was a beauty. This would be the last car my Granddaddy ever bought; he passed away just two yearslater. My dad inherited the Buick, and drove it across country from Virginia to California in 1973.The tradition begins. My parents were married in November of 1977. After a fun wedding, my mom and dad headedoff to begin their lives together, driving away in the Buick. For years, the Buick was my mom’s primary vehicle. InJune of 1980, the proud mommy and daddy took their new baby girl home from thehospital,driving away in the Buick. Years passed, and after a while, the Buick was no longerdriven. Instead, it was kept in storage. My dad held on to it, though. Those sentimentalreasons of a token carrying with it memories, I guess. Fast forward 22 years,and that baby girl is a college graduate and is beginning to plan a wedding. My dadbarely got the words out, and my own sentimental tendencies lit up (it must be aPope family trait). He wanted to restore the Buick for my future husband and meto use as our wedding car. Of course, he embellished with the story of he and mymom using it at their wedding and it being used to bring me home from the hospital.Being a veteran auto upholsterer, and an avid car lover having restored cars forpleasure and profit, this was more like a hobby than a job for my dad. He was happy to do it, and I’msure it brought him great joy to see that old ’69 Buick brought back to life. So, in June of 2003, my husband and I weremarried, and we were ready to start our new life as husband and wife, driving away in the Buick. Time has a funnyway of ticking on by, and before we knew it, my husband and I were expecting our first baby. I was eager at thethought of bringing our little one home from the hospital in the Buick, being able to continue this tradition. Then, inNovember of 2007, the very excited mommy and daddy took their new baby boy home, driving away in the Buick.It wasn’t long after our son was born that my dad was diagnosed with ALS. The Buick had once again been parked andcovered, not used much. My dad tried his best to downsize things that he could no longer use, that weren’t necessaryfor my mom to keep, and the Buick was one of those things. I pushed to keep the car because I knew I had planned tohave at least one more child, and the thought of such a special family tradition being cut off before its time hurt myheart. So, my dad’s motorcycle went, as did all of his auto upholstery tools and sewing machine, but the Buick stayed.In August of 2009, my dad, with all his dignity and grace, passed away. He was made perfect in heaven, but our heartswere crushed here on earth. Grasping at material things in hopes of feeling my dad near, I took hold of all I could; evensomething as simple as an old flannel shirt at times. The memories, though, are what made me feel closest to him.The three messages left on my answering machine with his voice telling me he loved me, wishing me happy birthday,and even the almost inaudible mumblings from the night before he passed. The way he’d made me feel when hecalled me ‘Punky Doodle’. The fun we had with our special Christmas Eve tradition, just him and me. These memoriesmean more than things. But, that Buick, it was not just any car.To donate a car in honor of your loved one, please call Alycia Cahill at 916-979-9265
Not Just any Car—continuedPAGE 11Then, less than a year after my dad passed, in July of 2010, we were once again welcominga little baby into our lives. Just like the last piece of a puzzle, the overjoyedmommy and daddy and new big brother were bringing their baby girl home from thehospital, driving away in the Buick. I could breathe a sigh of relief. I knew this familytradition had made it full circle. It would be a treasured story to share with myson and daughter as they got older, to show them pictures of weddings and babiesand having the Buick in the background. The Buick is a ‘thing’, yes, but it carried withit precious memories; memories of new life, birth, beginnings. No, this 1969 BuickElectra 225 was not just any car.Time takes its toll on things, and in our case, it was the Buick. We weren’t able to storethe car the way it should have been, and it needed attention that we were unable to giveit. The decision was made that we should sell it, and we tried. We had a few interestedparties, one who lived too close and we feared seeing it belong to another, one who wasscared off by the job of completing the restoration, and one who was related by my husband’sfamily. None of these options really worked for us. My mom and I weren’t excitedabout knowing or living close to the buyers because we didn’t want to think aboutseeing it mistreated or changed. So, after reading in the ALS Association, SacramentoChapter newsletter one month that they partnered with a car donation company, wedecided this was the best route to take. This way, we were giving to a cause near anddear to our hearts in my dad’s memory and honor, and we’d be rid of the Buick in a muchcleaner way, emotionally speaking. My mom made the call the first week of October2011, and before we had time to process it, they called back ready to pick up the car thenext day. We were excited, but a little overwhelmed at how quick it was happening. Afterall, our Buick is not just any car to us. This was a piece of my dad we had with us, parked out in front of the house;a physical reminder of a family tradition with special memories.So, there was my mom, my son, my daughter, and I standing out on the driveway when the big tow truck pulled up. Ofcourse, my son thought this was cool, a tow truck out in front of his house, loud diesel engine, air breaks, the works.My mom and I however, both had a knot in our stomachs. We were concerned becausethere was already a car on the bed of the tow truck, and the Buick is l-o-n-g. It would nothave been a pretty sight to watch it towed off the back of the truck. The tow truck driverstepped out and then did a double take when he realized he was taking away a classic car.He walked all around the car, he checked out the body, the interior; he even opened thehood to take a look at the engine. He was impressed with the Buick, and that made mymom and I feel quite proud. He was so respectful, he took his time, and he listened as mymom shared with him the family traditions tied to the Buick. He unloaded the first carfrom the bed of the truck so that he could load up the Buick and tow the smaller car off theback. My mom and I were relieved. We watched as the truck carefully rounded the court,and passed back by our house. We watched, with tears in our eyes, as the Buick turnedthe corner and was gone. We were sad because that little piece of something to hold on towas gone, but we were happy to know we were making my dad proud by donating it tosuch a wonderful organization. The Buick is gone, but it was not just any car, it was a carfull of memories, and we have those in our hearts forever.For my Daddy, with lots of love!Your Punky DoodleTom Pope, PALS 1943-2009
Page 1 and 2: Thank The ALS you Association, to L
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Page 12 and 13: Run for a Cure4 th Annual 5K & 10KR

January 2012 - The ALS Association Greater Sacramento

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