National Guard Picnic & Car Show - Hometownstations.com-WLIO- Lima, OH News Weather Sports

National Guard Picnic & Car Show

The Ohio Army National Guard holding a summer picnic for its troops.

The picnic at the Lima guard facility allowed the guardsmen and their families to enjoy a special day together. But many of the members who usually show up to these things aren't here. Around 60 members of the Lima based guard unit are finishing up a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Staff Sergeant Billy Madden agrees this event helps the families who still have loved ones deployed overseas.

Those national guardsmen in Afghanistan should be returning by the middle of next month.

As part of the national guard picnic there was also a benefit car and truck show to help raise money for a former commander.

The money raised from the show will go toward medical expenses of Captain Jason Hoeltge, who is suffering from brain cancer. Captain Hoeltge received radiation and chemotherapy and tumors were removed in 2009 and 2011.

He's exhausted all treatment options and is now in a long-term care facility.

He has to supplement his care out of pocket and this benefit car show is to help pay for his medication and final care expenses.

Captain Hoeltge is a two tour veteran of the Iraq War and a 19 year veteran of the U.S. Army and Ohio National Guard.