Buying Local Podcast · March 10, 2026 · 27 min
Support Cornell’s Annual Car Show Benefiting Folds of Honor | Buying Local #67
In episode 67 of the Buying Local podcast, host Mike Nelson sits down with Casey Cornell, Sean Wilcoxon, Mike Colvett, and Ron Pastino to talk about Cornell’s Used Auto Parts’ annual charity car show and the mission behind it. The conversation explores how the local event is raising money for Folds of Honor while sharing the powerful story of a 9/11 first responder whose family benefited from the organization’s scholarships. Consider supporting Cornell’s Used Auto Parts 4th Annual Car Show benefiting Folds of Honor NY on May 2nd from 9am-3pm. If you’d like to donate or get more information about their sponsorship programs, please message Cornell’s Used Auto Parts on Facebook or call Mike at (518) 812-6282! Help provide scholarships to families of fallen or disabled service members and first responders. 0:00 Introduction and today’s special group format 1:10 What Cornell’s charity car show is all about 2:00 How the event grew from a small gathering to a major fundraiser 3:20 Sponsors and community support for the car show 4:30 Event details: date, location, and what attendees can expect 5:45 Ron Pastino introduces himself and his background in service 6:30 Deploying to Ground Zero after 9/11 7:30 The long-term health effects on first responders 9:10 The diagnosis that changed Ron’s life 10:30 Major surgeries and forced retirement from the State Police 12:00 Life after service and finding a new purpose 14:00 Discovering charities and finding help through Folds of Honor 15:30 How scholarships helped Ron’s children attend college 17:00 Managing long-term health and recovery 20:30 What Folds of Honor is and how it started 22:00 Why community events like the car show matter 24:00 How families can apply for scholarships 26:30 The importance of remembering the ongoing impact of 9/11 27:20 Final thanks and invitation to the car show