Article by Beak Wilder / Photo courtesy of a cell phone in Merrymount
Bearde's Gulf station on Route 3A has agreed to auction off a historic camper to raise funds for Quincy High's new Gonorrhea Awareness program.
Owner and proprietor Jim Bearde, a longtime advocate for STD awareness, is also said to be a known carrier of the bacterial infection.
The Chevrolet G-Series camper, which has been owned by various locals since the late-1970s, has a long history in the Granite City, and is said to be worth over a thousand dollars. This estimate, however, while confirmed by amateur auto appraisers, has been disputed by those who are certified in the field.
"This is a great opportunity," Bearde said. "This van has so much history."
Just last year, Andre, the former owner of Andre's Market in Wollaston, received a full blood transfusion in the back of the van, in an attempt to rid him of AIDS.
In 2003, the infamous "Case of the Adams Shore Virgin" was brought to a close, as James "Slinka" Benuto deflowered Quincy High School cheerleader Cheryl Shawmack. Footage from this escapade was shortly after uploaded to Benuto's home computer, where it was then played constantly on YouTube and MySpace until Shawmack's suicide a month later.
In 1998, a Wollaston girl was fingered in the van by the bassist of Papa Roach.
In 1993, a Germantown father of three was arrested for using the van to manufacture methamphetamine, which, at the time, was known by the name "ice."
And in 1981, lifelong Quincy resident Jeff Brophy was born in the back of the van, after his mother refused to pay the emergency room deductible required by her Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. Jeff Brophy would later go on to drastically lose a 2009 Quincy mayoral campaign to incumbent Mayor Thomas Koch.
Jeff Brophy, celebrating Christmas of 2007 in a near-blackout.
"This auction is going to change the face of everything," Bearde optimistically added. "I'm expecting a really high turnout for this one. It's such an amazing van, with such a rich history to it. And it's for a really great cause, too. Kids these days need to be aware of gonorrhea. It's real and it's all around us. Trust me."
The auction will be held on Saturday afternoon in the basement level of the former Quincy Records & Tapes, where the starting price will be $1,200, although experts have predicted that the van may sell for as high as $1,500.
For tickets to this auction, please call Jim Bearde at 617-472-9161.
1 comment:
I could actually see myself paying up to three thousand dollars for that motorhome!
Post a Comment