Money will help Jim and Shirley Sierra with medical costs

CENTER — Poor Boy Car Club founder Richard Garcia on Wednesday, Sept. 6, gave a $5,000 check to Jim and Shirley Sierra on behalf of the club to help with the family’s medical costs.

Sierra has five autoimmune diseases, including interstitial lung disease, and must travel twice a year to National Jewish Hospital for treatment. The family has other medical expenses for various treatments that she receives.

Shirley Sierra said, “The Poor Boy Car Club is a blessing to me. These are people that don’t just put on car shows to make money, they put on car shows to help people. I appreciate everything they have done for me. This really helps so much. Thank you.”

The Poor Boy Car Club began when Garcia was in high school.

“I wanted to fix my car; it was a 72 Chavele. It took me 3 years to rebuild that car from start to finish. When I finished that, with my cousin Tony doing most of the motor work for me, I was like I love cars. We held our first car show at the park in Center. Our first car show we had like 29 or 30 cars show up,” he said.

Garcia said that after that first car show, he started doing them every year. He became partial to the weekend after the Fourth of July. He said the idea of the club raising money and helping people began when his nephew contracted cancer at a young age. The club decided to raise some money to help his sister and nephew.

“We ended up having a car show in Sargent that year and raised quite a bit of money to give to my sister and to St. Jude. We were able to do donations that way because of the leukemia. We lost my nephew to cancer. He passed away, which left a big hole in our hearts. That is what made us realize we wanted to help people. We wanted to give money to people in need. So, after that we just have always done that.”

The club has raised money and given it to people in need.

“We have also helped people who had a death in the family, or someone who just needs some help. We enjoy helping. A lot of guys joined the club after that, and we just raise money and give it away to people in need,” Garcia said.

Garcia said that he loves doing car shows and he loves helping people. Garcia heard about Shirley Sierra being sick and wanted to help her.

“She is a sweet person with a big heart, and really needed this help. Our car club issued her a check for $5,000 and we are praying that it helps her with everything that she is going through,” he said.

Shirley Sierra has been going to National Jewish Hospital for nearly a decade.

“I have been going to National Jewish Hospital for about 8 years now,” she said. “I go at least two times a year but sometimes more. I had to have platelet transfusions in Alamosa. I have been on oxygen for 9 or 10 years now. Things have been really hard for me. I am so grateful to Richard, to his daughters, and to the whole car club. I want to thank them from my heart for what they have done for me. The trips can get expensive when we have to spend nights there, it adds up. I appreciate the car club so much.”

Sierra’s husband, Jimmy added, “Richard is great and works with a good group of people. I appreciate what they do. They are not just out there to help glory their cars, they are out there to help people. They are good people, and we appreciate what they did for us. Thanks to the anonymous doners and the people that donated. We appreciate the help so much.”