A Williamstown North business is restoring an EJ Holden for the EJ Whitten Foundation to raise awareness of men’s health during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Bodymaster Prestige Paint and Panel, co-owned by Declan McKearney and partner Samantha Martin, have set themselves the hard task of restoring the vehicle in time to be auctioned at the EJ Whitten grand final luncheon on September 30.
“Cars is what I do and that’s when I came up with the idea to restore an EJ Holden for the EJ Whitten Foundation,” Mr McKearney said.
“We have had about nine weeks. I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but we’ll chew as hard as we can and get it done.”
EJ Whitten Foundation ambassadors and AFL legends Billy Brownless, Robert ‘Dipper’ Dipierdomenico, Sam Kekovich, Doug Hawkins, Russell Gilbert and Ted Whitten jnr have pitched in to help restore the car, donated by Rare Spares.
The restoration is being filmed for a TV show to be called Resto my Ride.
This year marks the 20th anniversary since the death of Footscray AFL legend EJ (Mr Football) Whitten.
“Given it’s such a significant year for the foundation and that the car is being auctioned at the end of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we simply had to get it done for the foundation this year,” Ms Martin said.
“We’re donating the entire car, so what they make for it goes directly into prostate cancer research and men’s health initiatives through the EJ Whitten Foundation.”
One in nine Australian men will develop prostate cancer, the second-most-common form of cancer in men.
