An event for a Slatington man who died late last year due to complications from COVID-19 will be held in his honor.

The Cruising Classic in Memory of Buzzy will start at 10 a.m. Sunday at Becky’s Drive-In, Route 248, Berlinsville.

It will leave promptly at 10 a.m., continue to the traffic light at Berlinsville, Route 248, and turn left on Route 873 south, where it will make a slight right onto Mountain Road, turn left on Bake Oven Road, left on Memorial Road, left on Saegers Road, right onto Best Station Road, left onto Friedens Road, left onto Route 873 north, and continue down Main Street in Slatington to the trailhead to Buzzy’s Auto Body.

Fire police from Lehigh Township, Friedens and Slatington will be assisting.

There is no charge for the car cruise, however, they will accept donations that will be given to the Northern Lehigh Venture Group.

A 50/50 drawing, with proceeds going to the Northern Lehigh Swimming Pool in honor of Buzzy, will also be held. Diggity Dogs food truck will be on hand.

There will be entertainment from noon to 5:30 p.m. Steel Creek will perform from noon to 2 p.m., followed by American Street Band from 3:15-5:30 p.m.

The fundraiser is for the late Kenneth “Buzzy” Rabenold, 66, of Slatington, who owned Buzzy’s Auto Body in Slatington until the time of his passing.

Kory Rabenold said his dad had three hot rods that he made from scratch.

“He always used to say to me, “If I’m going to build these things, I’m going to drive them,’?” Kory said. “I said, I wonder if we can get our own cruise going and come up with a route and drive cars and end at the body shop.”

Kory said he and his dad were extremely tight.

“We were best friends,” he said. “He was more than just a dad to me.”

Kory said that his dad was admitted to the hospital with COVID symptoms just days before Kory and his wife were about to get married at Disney World in Florida.

He said they were going to postpone the wedding, but his dad insisted they go get married.

Kory said they livestreamed the ceremony for his dad.

“He actually got to see it all,” he said. “Afterward, I FaceTimed him. He saw it, he was proud.”

Kory said a few days later they received a phone call that his dad had taken a turn for the worse, and they boarded an airplane to come home Christmas Day.

“I got to FaceTime him, but he said to me, ‘Just remember, you will always be my best friend,’?” he said. “My dad was an important guy to me, but I think a lot of people looked up to him; he got along with everybody, he wanted to treat people the way he wanted to be treated.”

In the meantime, Kory said he has made it his duty to keep the body shop running.

“It’s truly been a blessing that everybody’s sticking with me,” he said. “The business is really booming.”

Kory said he and Pat Rabenold, Buzzy’s wife, decided to hold the event.

“We just want people to come out in memory of my dad,” he said. “I just want everybody to come and support my dad.”