| Pretty special kid |
Subject: Pretty special kid by pianoguy on 2008/1/23 1:40:17 I just read this in AutoWeek: ==================== By DUTCH MANDEL Hunter Stewart is like other kids his age, yet he is not like anyone you've ever met. Hunter plays soccer, baseball and video games. Outside his front door, the blue-eyed towhead from Carlsbad, California, can wake-board or ride an ATV at his dad's side. His freckled face is Ralph Lauren-catalog-cute, but behind his four-foot frame and child's whimsy is a hard-nosed racer on a mission. Eight-year-old Hunter wants to cure breast cancer. He does this not simply because his 34-year-old mom, Alycia, has the insidious disease. He does this because he believes it is the right thing to do. Hunter races a Ford Ranger Trophy kart to raise money and awareness for a cure. If his first season is an indication, he might get the job done. Empathy has been with him forever. On vacations to Mexico, he takes clothes and toys to less fortunate kids. In a school contest, the third-grader raised money to buy a goat for a family in a developing nation. This breast-cancer fight is a natural. Shortly after his family had decided to go racing, doctors discovered Alycia's cancer. At the same time, Hunter was in school learning about what scientists do. He already knew about raising money, so he put the two together and is now behind the wheel of a Susan G. Komen-liveried Desert Dog Racing Trophy Kart. For every lap completed in 2007, Hunter donated his $5 allowance. Last year, he gave $1,000. His giving is infectious. As the family loaded their motor home for a race, Hunter grabbed a bucket. "Why do we need this?" his dad asked. "So that when I go to the track, more people can put money in." He was right: The series, as well as other teams, donated mightily. People came to recognize his passion and came to help. Hunter was rewarded. In his first season, competing against kids up to four years older, Hunter finished fourth in the championship, earning a ride on the top-flight Team Adrenalin Trophy truck for '08. Hunter's mom is doing all she can to be there for him and his sister. She's endured six rounds of chemotherapy and surgery. What's next: With help, the Stewarts are setting up a nonprofit called Racing 2 Cure to help existing groups raise funds and awareness through motorsports. Learn more at www.hunterstewartracing.com. Call it paying it forward--at speed. |
