Help Bring Joaquin Garay III Back to VW Funfest 2025!

Help Bring Joaquin Garay III Back to VW Funfest 2025!

$5,300 Needed by May 31st!

Hey Herbie fans! We’re Mike “Maniac Mike” Dyer from St. Louis, Missouri, and Erik Elmauer from the Herbie The Love Bug Collectibles Museum in Ontario, Canada. As longtime Herbie enthusiasts, we’re excited to celebrate two big milestones in 2025— the 20th anniversary of Herbie Fully Loaded and the 45th anniversary of Herbie Goes Bananas!

To mark the occasion, Mid America Motorworks in Effingham, Illinois, is hosting a special screening of Herbie Fully Loaded during Funfest for Air-Cooled VW 2025 on Saturday, June 21st. This event has been one of the largest Volkswagen gatherings in the Central U.S. for over 25 years, with their screen-used Street Racer Herbie as a star attraction every year.

But we want to make this celebration even bigger— by bringing back actor Joaquin Garay III! Best known as Paco in Herbie Goes Bananas, Joaquin was a guest at Funfest in 2004 and 2005 and has remained a beloved ambassador of the Herbie legacy. He loves meeting fans, signing memorabilia, and celebrating The Love Bug’s incredible history.

How You Can Help:

We need to raise $5,300 by May 31st, 2025 to cover Joaquin’s appearance fee, airfare, and hotel stay. If we exceed our goal, all extra funds will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a cause close to the hearts of the Mid America Motorworks team.

Donate any amount—every dollar helps bring Joaquin to the event!

Share this campaign with fellow VW & Herbie fans.

Join us at Funfest to meet Joaquin and celebrate Herbie history!

Let’s make VW Funfest 2025 unforgettable! Donate today and help bring Joaquin back to Effingham for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Thank you for your support! We can’t wait to see you in June!

Sincerely,

Mike Dyer & Erik Elmauer

*Photos courtesy of Mid America Motorworks