W
hen Bryan Benson got into an
argument with a friend about who
makes the best wings in Pittsburgh,
he never dreamed it would lead to an annual
charity fundraiser that attracts hundreds.
Benson, of Moon Township, says Big Shot
Bob’s has the best wings while his friend
prefers Sidelines in Sewickley. Both men
are also passionate about classic cars, so
Benson decided to combine their interests
by organizing the first Wheels, Wings and
Wishes event in 2015. This year the event
will take place on July 30 from noon to 6
p.m. at The Hangar in Moon Township.
The first year, Benson asked friends
and family to bring their classic cars and a
plate of their favorite wings to a pavilion at
Settlers Cabin Park. There were 20 classic
cars with 100 people in attendance. The
event raised $3,300 for the Make-A-Wish
Foundation through donations and an
auction. Two Wish recipients attended
the fundraiser: 17-year-old Enrico Mucci
brought his customized green Ford truck
to the show, and Benson asked car owners
to let 5-year-old Nick Moser ride in their
vehicles. His favorite was a Volkswagen dune
buggy. “He was out on the road all day,”
Benson laughs.
Typically, car owners who bring their
vehicles to a show are fastidious and don’t
want anyone touching the cars, but Benson
asks participants to let the Wish recipients
ride in their vehicles to get them interested
in classic cars.
“A lot of kids are not interested in cars,
but if we let kids go for rides in them, they
can see what classic cars are all about,”
he says.
Wheels, Wings and Wishes also gives
children who have faced adversity a positive
memory. “It’s good to do something for
somebody else,” Benson adds.
He has always been interested in classic
cars. Besides working for Moon Township
Parks and Recreation, Benson restores
classic Corvettes and owns a 1980 model.
He loves the Corvette’s body style and the
camaraderie of classic car hobbyists. “It’s a
real tight-knit community,” he notes.
For that first event, attendees brought
dozens of samples of their favorite wings.
Benson believes the Napoleon Dynamite
wings from Big Shot Bob’s are the best.
Some recipes are unique, including one that
uses Cap’n Crunch cereal as the breading.
Ultimately, the question of which wings are
the best has not been settled. “Everybody
has their own opinion,” Benson says.
In 2016, Benson opened Wheels,
Wings and Wishes to the public and held
it at The Hangar, which supplied wings to
400 hungry attendees. There were more
than 100 classic cars and the event raised
$10,000. Nick and Enrico returned and
there was also live music.
Bryan Benson, Make-A-Wish recipient Enrico Mucci,
and Bobby Brown.
“A lot of kids are not
interested in cars. But
if we let kids go for
rides in them, they
can see what classic
cars are all about.”
This year, Benson hopes 500 will attend
and aims to raise $15,000. Limited space
means there will only be room for about
100 cars again this year, and spots will be
available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Benson never expected Wheels, Wings
and Wishes to become so popular. He’s
looking for volunteers and donors to support
the event and hopes to expand it in the
future. Although it takes a lot of planning,
Benson will continue to host, noting, “When
you see the kids smiling, it makes every bit of
hard work worth it.” n
Madelynn and Mason Sieracki.
Moon Township | Summer 2017 | icmags.com 13