FRESNO — There’s a very special car show coming to Woodward Park that’s not only fun to attend — it’s important, too, as proceeds will benefit local children and families when they need it the most.
So, life is not so much what happens to us but how we deal with what happens to us.
– Shelby Chase Veater
The second annual Chasing Shelby Foundation Car Show, sponsored by the Veater Financial Group, is set for Friday, Sept. 28 from 5 – 8 p.m. and will feature classic as well as modern cars, and also offer food, raffles, prizes and music. In addition, items generously donated by sports greats Derek Carr, Steve Young and Jerry Rice will be auctioned at the big event. Woodward Park is located at 7775 N. Friant Road.
The organization was founded to honor the memory of Shelby Chase Veater, a beloved member of the mountain community who was born with the birth defect, Spina Bifida. Her parents gave Shelby the middle name “Chase” despite being told she would never walk — their hope was that one day she would be able to chase her older brother and sister around — and she did. Shelby was a graduate of Yosemite High School and a freshman at Clovis Community when she passed away.
Spina Bifida literally means ‘split spine.’ [It] happens when a baby is in the womb and the spinal column does not close all of the way. Every day, about eight babies born in the United States have Spina Bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine. Scientists believe that genetic and environmental factors act together to cause the condition. www.spinabifidaassociation.org
“We started the Chasing Shelby Foundation with the help of a family friend after losing Shelby in December of 2016,” explains Shelby’s mom, Nancy Veater.
“Shelby was 19 years old when she took a turn for the worse. We spent all of October and most of December living at Valley Children’s Hospital at the ICU ward.”
Throughout her well-lived life, Shelby was determined to experience it to the fullest degree. Now, her family and friends are determined to honor that memory by raising money for this cause so close to their hearts: care and information for others facing the same challenges. The Chasing Shelby Foundation is also supporting the neurosurgery wing at the ICU ward of Valley Children’s. With funding, Nancy knows, they can better train their staff and treat their patients.
“Shelby was much loved and we are thankful for the support of so many. When she was born, we really felt alone and uncertain about her future,” Nancy recalls. “We feel it is our purpose to help families welcome their new Spina Bifida babies home with as much information about Spina Bifida as we can, story books for the children that are all about them and a comforting blanket to help them learn that the world is really open to their babies, that there really no limits. ”
For more information or to be included as a vendor, use the form below or visit chasingshelby.org.
