As students walked by Hill Circle, they saw other students smashing an old, wrecked car painted silver with red graffiti drawn as targets. As they smashed the car with a hammer, volunteers yelled, “Wanna come hit a car for a Chick-Fil-A sandwich?” More students piled in and decided to join in on the fun. After hitting the car 10 times, they walked away feeling relieved and satisfied with their sandwich. 

On Friday, Oct. 26, Quinnipiac University’s Car Club held the annual Car Smash at the village circle to raise money for breast cancer research. 

Three years ago, former Quinnipiac student Caroline Ringle decided to start a charity dedicated to breast cancer research called, “Race for a Cure.”

“I know breast cancer is a big thing in Caroline’s family and she wanted to do something to help, so she came up with Car Smash,” Johnny Marquadt, the social media chair for the Car Club, said. “It’s a fun way to raise money for breast cancer research.” 

Ever since, Car Smash has been improvising its efforts to raise money for breast cancer research. The way the club collects the money is by having people pay $10 to hit the car 10 times and then giving them a Chick-Fil-A sandwich. After volunteering for two Car Smash events, Marquadt saw that the Car Club has been raising more money over the years. 

“Last year they raised $150 and this year they raised $400,” Marquadt said. “The main reason was the location. Last year, it was in the north lot and this year it was in the village circle, so more people came across it.”

A lot of hard work and preparation went into the event. 

“Weeks of preparation included getting the car, getting it transported here, ordering the sandwiches, getting them to school, spreading the word of the event, getting the area for the event and getting public safety to approve and to get our advisor to approve it,” Marquadt said.

While preparing for the Car Smash event, the Car Club faced some unavoidable bumps in the road. 

“We had a few difficulties early on due to weather when we had everything planned out,” Sigurjon Magnusson, the president of Car Club, said. “We had to cancel the first time and reprep everything. It was easier when the outside business wanted to help and get involved. It was approximately a month.” 

These outside businesses included Chick-Fil-A in Wallingford and Wheeler’s Auto Service who provided the club with the free car. Magnusson says that Wheeler’s Auto Service completed all the necessary preparatory work on the car. 

The club also had to ensure safety by finding a location where there weren’t too many people and could keep everyone safe. They also could not use any sharp tools, only sledge hammers. 

Car Smash not only benefited “Race for a Cure” but also everyone who got involved. Marquadt says that being a part of Car Smash made him more aware that he should be doing more community service and help the community more. 

“It was definitely a good stress reliever,” Marquadt said. “Taking your anger out on an object that can’t hurt you back.” 

Car Smash is not only a stress reliever, but, according to Magnusson, it also breaks the stereotype of the Car Club. 

“It’s not just messing around and having fun with cars. It shows a different side by getting involved in the community for bigger causes,” Magnusson said. He also mentions that it’s also a great way to make friends. 

For Magnusson, being the president of the Car Club and being a part of Car Smash was a rewarding experience.

 “It was a good learning experience of managing a team and being sure everyone was on the same page of having an end goal that we all wanted to strive for,” Magnusson said. 

Magnusson has a few words for those interested in Car Smash. 

 “It’s a good time,” Magnusson said. “A lot of camaraderie at the event this year and last year. It becomes a small little family when you get in the Car Club and coming to the events shows our little family and what we can do, including giving to breast cancer research.”