Camp Courageous raffling off car

Camp Courageous, a year-round camp for kids and adults with disabilities, is raffling off a 1966 VW Cabriolet in September.

Michael Verst of Union, Ky., donated the mint green car to the camp in memory of his wife, Karen. He purchased the convertible in 1999 and spent nine years restoring it.

'I built it for my wife, it was kind of a basket case of a car when we got it,' Verst said. 'I took it all apart and put it back together for her. She was handicapped, she had cancer and she had lost one of her legs to cancer, so I put an automatic transmission in this car. Just something fun for her to drive.'

Verst presented the car, nicknamed 'Gracie,' to his wife on the tenth anniversary of her being declared cancer free. The pair got to enjoy Gracie for five years, before Karen died of cancer in 2013. This July marks three years since Karen's death, Verst said.

'I'm an avid car guy and I thought the car should go to somebody that would love it and drive it and my wife and I talked about it before her passing, that we wanted to see it go to a good cause. She did not want it to go to any type of cancer research or anything like that, she said she'd rather put smiles on people's faces.'

Verst said he regularly attends an annual event in Fairfield called Vintage Power Wagons. Each year, money raised from a raffle at the event is donated to Camp Courageous.

After Verst learned more about Camp Courageous, he decided to donate the car to them.

'I think she would have really liked the idea,' Verst said. 'I think she would have really been on board with my choice.'

Verst plans to attend the raffle in September.

Camp Courageous doesn't usually hold raffles, said Charles Becker, the organization's executive director. But after meeting with Verst and his family in Kentucky, Becker changed his mind.

'It's been a fun project,' Becker said. 'The camp is run entirely on donations. We have volunteers that come from around the world. We were trying to think of a way we could raise the most money.'

The VW has been shown at 15 car shows, high school football games and other community events, said Kevin Van Houten, a Camp Courageous board member who is helping organize the fundraiser.

'It's one of those things, once people see it ...' Becker said. 'It's amazing.'

The winning ticket will be drawn during a pancake breakfast at Camp Courageous' main lodge at 11:58 a.m. on Sept. 25. Raffle tickets can be purchased at campcourageous.org.

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