An Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport AWD, Porsche 911 convertible, Mercedes Benz S 560, Jaguar F-Type, Cadillac Red Horizon Sport XT6 and Maserati Gran Turismo were among the 10 shiny luxury brands lined up inside Stabler Arena, Lehigh University, Bethlehem.

The real star of the 2020 Lehigh Valley Auto Show press conference was Emily Pineda, 5, in her Trexo Plus.

Pineda, a daughter of Robert and Jennifer Pineda of Blue Bell, Montgomery County, demonstrated the Trexo Plus, assisted by Kandis Jones, Supervisor of Outpatient Pediatrics at Good Shepherd Pediatrics.

Good Shepherd Pediatrics, a division of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, will receive $25,000 as beneficiary of the 2020 Lehigh Valley Auto Show Preview Gala, 6 - 10 p.m. March 18, Stabler Arena.

The 23rd annual Valley Auto Show, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers, is 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. March 19, 20 and 21, and 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. March 22, Lehigh University Goodman Campus, Saucon Valley.

Good Shepherd Pediatrics is the only rehab facility in Pennsylvania and one of a handful of “Centers of Excellence” in the United States to pioneer the Trexo Plus, a robotic walking device for children.

Robotic legs and computer controls in the high-tech walker allow a child to walk hands-free. The design encourages a child to walk farther as he or she gains strength.

“You do it in conjunction with a caregiver or the parents,” Jones explained to a reporter for The Press at the press conference. “Once it’s set up, it knows the gait pattern and walk phase and it stays the the same,” said Jones.

A home unit can cost $29,000. A clinic unit can cost $75.000. Good Shepherd has had one of the units since July 2019. The device fits most 3-6-year-olds in sizes for the small, medium and larger child.

Trexo Plus is aimed for children diagnosed with Cerebral palsy, pediatric stroke, spinal cord injury and gait disorders.

The 2020 auto show is a four-day event with more than 145,000-square-feet of displays of new cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers, vans and motorcycles.

Chair of this year’s show is Tom Daub, president, Brown-Daub Dealerships.

Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association president Sam Borrelli, president, Faulkner Chevrolet Cadillac, Bethlehem, presented opening remarks at the Feb. 18 press conference.

Tom Kwiatek, executive director, Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association, highlighted the show: expanded auto show marketplace with more than 30 vendors; distracted driving simulator; Subaru Loves Pets, partnering with a local shelter to make dogs and puppies available for adoption; Mario Andretti’s 1994 Lola T9400 Indy Car that he drove on his “Arrivederci Tour” with Newman-Haas Racing and which was a retirement gift from Paul Newman and Carl Haas, will be on display; March 21 daytime display by the Allentown Corvette Club and March 22 daytime display by the Thunderbird Club, and an exhibition by automobile photographer Ed Solomon.

Also at the press conference were Gary Schmidt, Chair, board of trustees, and Interim President & CEO, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, and Amanda Kleckner, Administrative Director of Pediatrics, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network.

“No other rehab provider in Pennsylvania provides this technology,” said Kleckner. “I’ve seen the bright smiles as the parents experience this [their children walking] and the tears of the parents.”

“Whether at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit in Bethlehem or our many outpatient locations throughout the greater Lehigh Valley, the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association’s generous support allows Good Shepherd Pediatrics’ team of physicians, therapists and nurses to provide expert pediatric rehabilitation and specialized care to children recovering from traumatic injuries, illnesses, neurological disorders or chronic conditions,” said Schmidt.

March 19 and 20 are Community Days at the auto show. Participating nonprofits sell discounted advance tickets as a fundraiser for their organizations.

March 20 is Military and First Responder Appreciation Day. Admission is free with a valid ID. Accompanying family members, up to four, may attend at half price.

Volunteers, who are needed to staff this year’s show, have four-hour shifts and receive a free T-shirt. To volunteer, contact Tom Kwiatek: tkwiatek@ptd.net; 610-758-9691

Tickets for the preview gala, which is open to the public and includes food, music and cocktails: glvada.org. Information, including directions to the show: glvada.org