LAWRENCE CO. – Saturday afternoon at Johnny Junxions, the Batcole Foundation held the Hot Wheels Nationals, a fundraiser for children’s cancer research in honor of Cole Winnefeld, a young boy who fought and eventually succumbed to Stage IV neuroblastoma.
His family began the Batcole Foundation, an entirely volunteer-supported organization dedicated to funding research into children’s cancer. The Hot Wheels Nationals race began in 2015, and 100% of the proceeds go to support the cause.
In 2015, after Cole passed, Steve Jones, owner of Johnny Junxions and family friend of the Winnefelds since Johnny’s Junxion was founded, came to Carol Winnefeld with the idea for the Hot Wheels Race.
Carol said Cole loved Hot Wheels races, though they weren’t quite the same as they were now, so when the idea was proposed, she jumped at it. “He came to me and asked ‘is it too soon?’ and I was like ‘Absolutely not’ and it has just blown up since 2015.”
That year was the first Hot Wheels National, and despite a two-year break when COVID-19 broke out, the race has been going since.
This year’s event raised $9,200. With 128 slots completely filled, the races were a blast for all involved, with hordes of children and parents running about with little model cars, excited to race for a good cause.
Guests lined up to buy donated Hot Wheels from a booth. The car owners could then enter the races to win trophies hand-made by Cole’s grandfather, or as Cole called him, “Papaw.”
In addition to the races, there was a life-size Hot Wheels photo booth, and the cars that came out for the car show could park their vehicles inside a mock-up Hot Wheels box for their photo opportunity.
Carol Winnefeld stressed her gratitude for community support. Everyone involved in the foundation and fundraisers has been family or close friends. Everyone is a volunteer, so no one is paid for the time they put in. It’s a complete work of love.
Johnny Junxions was all but overrun with attendees wanting to participate, look at the cars, or just support the cause in general.
With the grand total of the fundraiser reaching more than $9,200, it can easily be counted as a success.
With the support of friends, family, and the community, the research for children’s cancer can forge onward.
