New Repair Fund Honors Legacy of Young Man Who Loved Cars

When Julian DiNino was growing up, his mom Tina remembers how he went to bed every night with a matchbox racecar in each hand. His bedroom walls were decorated with racecars, where Tina believes her son developed a "need for speed.” As a third generation "car guy," Julian learned fabrication and welding from his dad, a former airplane mechanic, and from family friends.

His dad Ken remembers when Julian was 14, he bought his first BMW E30 after meticulously searching online. He negotiated the deal himself and immediately made modifications to his new ride. 

After graduating from Avonworth High School, Julian honed his skills as a performance mechanic and social media creator, reaching 300k followers on Instagram and producing racecar fabrication videos with over 75

million viewers. He was generous, often working on his friends' cars for free and then treating them to grilled steaks. Julian dreamt about growing his social media presence and using the proceeds to help more people who could not afford necessary car repairs.  

This past June, Julian unexpectedly passed away at the age of 22, leaving his family, friends, and online followers with the grief of a vibrant life that ended too soon. His parents, along with his sister Eva, wanted to honor Julian's legacy by establishing a fund to assist community members with car repairs. A friend connected them with NHCO's Executive Director, Scott Shaffer, who worked with the family to establish the Julian DiNino Car Repair Fund, and to create a promotional tribute video. 

Donations to the fund will support NHCO’s Transportation Financial Assistance Program, which provides car repairs and other transportation needs, enabling individuals to seek and retain employment. Half of the proceeds will also support similar programs with the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, another nonprofit.

Thank you to the DiNino family for honoring Julian's legacy of People Helping People in a way that would make him proud! 

View Julian's tribute videos and donate to the fund at NHCO.org/julian.