Serving Seniors
Love for Jesus, a heart to serve and a passion for rodding all came together as Chaplain Chuck, and his helper Cindi, organized an event to serve at-risk teens in his community.
He had a huge goal of creating a special event for graduating seniors where they will be chauffeured to Cedar High School’s Graduation Ceremony in hot rods or classic cars. There were 19 students total.
In order to accomplish this goal, Chaplain Chuck sought the help of the community. He gathered support from the city police, county Sheriff’s department and State Patrol to lead the parade with lights and sirens as well as block the roads. Support was also given by local car clubs such as Yesteryear and Test of Time, plus various car enthusiasts. In total, there were 24 cars and a customized school bus. Excitement for the event started to gain traction and The Moore Wright Group jumped on-board to provide each graduate with a NEW suitcase filled with new items such as blanket, pillow, pillowcase, journal, books, playdough, and more. Local businesses such as the Extreme Collision Center and Shelton Herald Newspaper also helped promote and fund the event. Finally, the non-profit that Chaplain Chuck started called Wheels for Hope organized all logistics and provided each graduate with a card and $20 gift card.
“We’d go around a corner and we’d have her look back and see cars for as far as you could see.”
The principal also rode in the parade and Chaplain Chuck had great fun introducing her to the world of hotrods. He said, “We’d go around a corner and we’d have her look back and see cars for as far as you could see.” After the parade, many drivers shared special experiences they had with the students. One driver shared a passion for welding with the student they were randomly assigned to drive. The driver took the opportunity to encourage the student to pursue their passion. Another student shared how they were overwhelmed with graduating and moving, but the driver had family in the town the student was moving to and they were able to encourage the student with opportunities they can encounter in that city. Chaplain Chuck even had some divine appointments during a dinner debrief after the event.
