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By Theron Willis
HOMETOWN NEWS
Holding the symbolic check of monies raised for Victory Junction are (l-r): WHS Rixon Lane, Kyle Petty, WES Zachary Pruitt, TC Brooks, WMS Jake Smith, WPS Jackson Stephenson
Students of District 4 and the Woodruff community as a whole have demonstrated a lesson that extends far beyond mere academics - the lesson of caring for others. This lesson started as a spark a few weeks ago but then became something much bigger than originally planned. It galvanized the entire Wolverine nation and culminated in an overflowing gesture of kindness that even caught the attention of internationally known NASCAR driver and owner Kyle Petty, who had to come all the way down to this small town in South Carolina to observe its giving spirit firsthand.
When Teresa “TC” Brooks read in The Woodruff News of the plight of baseball coach Will Lanford’s 4-year-old son Easton, who was diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumor behind his optic nerve, she knew she had to do something. She went to District 4 Superintendent Dr. Rallie Liston, telling him she was going on a cross-country motorcycle ride for her longtime friend Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction Gang. Victory Junction is a summer camp started by Petty in Randleman, NC, and is for children with serious and debilitating illnesses who would otherwise be deprived of a summer camp experience. She asked Dr. Liston if the school district would be willing to sponsor her ride across America to raise money both for Easton and for Victory Junction. Dr. Liston quickly rallied the district and they set to work.
The original fundraising goal of $2,500 now seems paltry compared to the final amount raised. A total of $10,000 was raised, quadruple the initial goal.
While riding across the country, TC heard reports of the community’s outpouring for Easton and gleefully told Petty that she had a big surprise upon her return to Woodruff. She was going to match whatever amount the city had raised.
Last Wednesday TC made her triumphant return to Woodruff, roaring into W.L. Varner Stadium on her 2008 Harley-Davidson Trike Ultra Classic with Petty on the back. The home bleachers were filled with WHS students and local citizens who greeted TC and Petty with a resounding roar of approval.
Emotion filled the air when TC announced that her $10,000 match was not only going to help with medical expenses but also pay for a weeklong, all-expenses paid vacation to Disney World this summer for the Lanford family.
The already electrified atmosphere in the stadium then reached a pitch usually reserved for a Wolverine gridiron victory, as the crowd erupted in applause and shouts of joy when Coach Lanford, his wife Michelle and Easton were crowned with their Mickey Mouse ears.
A Day to Remember
Coach Lanford said this special day will be forever etched in his and his family’s memory and that he has just been overwhelmed with love and support since this terrible ordeal started. “We couldn’t be in a better place and community than here during our difficult time. I’ll never forget this day. Words can’t describe what you mean to us,” Coach Lanford said. “I graduated from Walhalla High School but my hometown is here.”
TC said she was in awe about how the Woodruff community far exceeded what was first planned. “It went way beyond what I planned,” she said to the crowd. “This has been the most exciting ride of my life.”
The $10,000 from the school district is going to send four lucky kids to Victory Junction this summer.
Kyle Petty expressed his thanks to Woodruff for its generous donation and said that what struck him the deepest was that the students were the driving force behind this effort.
“This is kids helping kids, which is what makes this amazing,” he said.
One example of that selflessness is eight-year-old Jackson Stephenson, a second grader at Woodruff Primary. Without any prodding from his parents, Jackson donated all of his birthday money to the Easton fund, an act that left both his mom and dad both stunned and proud. “I just couldn’t be more proud, especially since he did it unprompted,” Jackson’s father, Justin Stephenson said.
Petty also stated, in a subdued voice, that this day, May 12, 2010, was special to him for another reason - exactly 10 years before he had lost his son, Adam, in a racing accident.
Yet as he started to speak about Victory Junction and the fundraising efforts of this community, Petty’s voice rose across the stadium. He mentioned different NASCAR racers who have built different rides and attractions at Victory Junction, but then he said that big name donations don’t compare to the rallying of an entire community.
“We can talk about NASCAR superstars and other big name sponsors but it’s energy like this that sends a child to camp,” Petty said.
He added, “You can learn a lot of things in school but the most important thing is learning to help others.”
Dr. Liston echoed that sentiment in his closing remarks.
“Education is about learning to put others first. It’s about learning to serve others,” he said.
If that’s the case then every kid in Woodruff is an honor student.
For more Local New and events, see the weekly Woodruff News.
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