Beloved fundraiser for community fire department canceled for first time in over 24 years

PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A beloved fundraiser for the Penn Township Volunteer Fire Department is canceled this year.

The organizer said it was a big disappointment for the department and the community.

“It is disappointing it was a nice event for the community everybody really loved it all the car cruise enthusiasts loved it,” said Jason Graham, fundraising director.

The annual Mega Cruise event was scheduled for July at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport. However, it’s no longer happening because of logistics.

“In past years, we had a certain hangar that was attached to the tarmac at Butler airport. This year we weren’t able to obtain it,” said Graham.

Graham said it’s also a safety issue since they aren’t allowed to use a particular hangar for the event.

“When you get a large event like that for a lot of people, it’s kind of a safety thing for inclement weather or extreme heat, extreme sun. You want a place for people to get out of the weather,” said Graham.

A spokesperson for the airport said they gave the fire department permission to use a different hangar for the mega cruise and the department decided it was not feasible. Graham said this would have been the event’s 25th year. It raises money for the volunteer fire department and is a big community event with hundreds of cars.

“It was incredible, we would cover the entire tarmac and the fields. It was one of the biggest car cruises around,” said Graham.

Graham said they are open to other fundraising ideas. The fire department still plans to hold their tool bash at the Butler airport in May and will be able to use another hangar for that event. Graham said they hope to bring back the tradition and hold the Mega Cruise event next year.

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