Local car clubs gather to support teens injured in Memorial Day crash

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) -Local car clubs gathered on Monday to support two teens who were injured in a Memorial Day weekend crash earlier this year. From a cruise to a car show, it was all about showing the good rather than the bad, behind the wheel.

For Aaron Swanson and Hannah Wadiso, it’s a day of gratitude.

“It makes me feel really supported with all the people here,” Swanson said.

Swanson and Wadiso were pinned under a flipped truck in a Memorial Day crash earlier this year where two people were killed and 20 others were injured. To this day, Swanson and Wadiso are still recovering.

“I think this is good for me just to get over the fear of what happened to me,” Wadiso said.

Looking to show the teens what cruising and the car community is really all about, the Midwest Rollers Car Club and Rebels Auto Club put on a cruise of their own. The money raised is going towards Swanson and Wadiso’s hospital bills. Jim McNeil, the organizer, said the car community was all in on helping the two.

“Not everybody is able to get out there and help out,” McNeil said. “Some people can help more than others. I’m just lucky enough that I have a lot of friends. A lot of car people and without the car people we wouldn’t have what we have.”

Swanson and Wadiso got to ride in the car of their choosing. Swanson rode a ‘66 Shelby owned by Don Knop.

“I really do like it,” Swanson said. “It has a really cool color. And yeah, I really like it just stood out to me.”

“When he told me what it was about, Jim had tears in his eyes, you know, because he feels so much for those kids who got hurt,” said Knop. “So that was a no-brainer.”

Hundreds of cars took to O Street and other parts of Lincoln with all of this wrapping up in Air Park for a car show. The car cruise involved hundreds of drivers.

The two teens feel the support and want to pass it on.

“I really want to help people ever since I was in the hospital,” Wadiso said. “A lot of people have been helping me out and I want to do the same and I want to give back.”

To check out the teen’s GoFundMe, click here.

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