PARMA, Ohio — This Labor Day, eyes turned to the sky for the Cleveland National Air Show.
However, collector John Heffner is looking back to a different type of aviation event: the Cleveland National Air Races.
1929 marked the first year the National Air Races were held in Northeast Ohio. For 10 days, the event drew over half a million spectators, eagerly watching the planes fly.
While the races left Cleveland in 1949, many are still drawn to the captivating stories of competition and bravery, including Heffner.
"I have a passion for history and preservation of history," he says.
Over the years, Heffner has filled his basement with relics from baseball fields, tarmacs, presidential families, and more. Recently, he acquired the 4 1/2-foot "Woolaroc Trophy" from the Frank Phillips Trophy Race in 1932.
"I knew because of the size of it that it was one of the rare ones that the pilots were able to actually possess versus turn back in for the following year's race," Heffner explained.
After getting his hands on the trophy, Heffner says he had the piece restored to its original glory, and he also started digging into source material about its past. He discovered the Woolaroc was won by pilot Ray Moore in 1932.
"Just tapping people on the shoulder and asking questions and following one lead after another until the pieces and the story start coming together," Heffner said.
He believes each relic he collects possesses a story meant to be uncovered. He then shares that history with the people around him.
"I knew it (the trophy) needed to be saved and brought back to Cleveland and have its story retold for others to enjoy," he told us.
Heffner posts regularly to his YouTube channel "History and Relics" to explain the backgrounds behind the items he collects. You can watch his video on the history of the Woolaroc Trophy below: