A Jamestown driver is using his race car to reduce miles on other people’s vehicles. Brian Hanson Jr. is a regular at Jamestown Speedway. This year, Hanson painted his car purple and donated proceeds from sponsorships and ribbon sales to cancer care at Jamestown Regional Medical Center.
For him, the cause is personal.
“My dad had lung cancer, twice. And cancer really affects everyone,” he said about his desire to give back. Hanson remembers his dad’s diagnoses. The first time, Hanson was 6 years old.
Hanson also credits his mom – Cindy Kutz, a surgical technologist at JRMC.
“I kind of took after her and wanted to be kind and generous like she is,” Hanson said.
MILES MATTER
The JRMC Cancer Center opened two years ago, on June 13, 2019, in partnership with Sanford Health’s Roger Maris Cancer Center. Since then, JRMC has saved 500,000 miles of travel for people from more than 80 communities.
“When we opened, we anticipated offering this community 100 chemotherapy infusions each month,” said JRMC Foundation Director Lisa Jackson. “Today, we offer 250 to 300 a month.”
For JRMC and the cancer patients it serves, he is an inspiration, Jackson said.
“Brian and the region rallied to make cancer care possible,” she said. “It is hard battle this disease, however, Brian and the community demonstrate that no one is on this road alone. At JRMC, we know that care is better close to home. Reducing travel means less wear and tear on a vehicle. It also means less wear and tear on a body.”
So far, Hanson raised about $1,100.
“I’m without words,” he said, saying he adhered $810 worth of $5 ribbon stickers to the vehicle’s roof.
Hanson’s first race is Thursday at the Tri-County Speedway in Wishek, N.D.
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