Lightning McQueen needs his own Mack

Hi we are a small childs bereavement charity called JB and ME. We need help to transport the most famous race car safely to childrens final journeys and families facing their darkest days. In 2019 our family faced the most unthinkable loss. 27month old James went to bed with love and warmth filling his heart and fell into his never ending sleep. He needed a legacy and JB our own Bereavement Bear was born. He has a magical color changing heart on his t-shirt that can be used in many ways. We donate these bears to any children who are struggling with the loss of a loved one.

We are a family of car lovers and James final journey reflected that love. In late 2021 we were offered the sole use of Lightning McQueen, a full lifesize, Disney commissioned fibreglass model. For many reasons we didn't start using McQueen until the spring of 2023, we decided that McQueen would be used to help families facing their darkest days. And that's exactly what he does. To date he has gone along and paid tribute to 4 children and their families who were facing their hardest goodbyes, he's been on home visits to children and been to and helped the local children's Hospice.

We try and take him along to different events, it promotes us as a charity and allows his adoring public a chance to met him. And that is where we are now starting to struggle.

We have an old Transit flat bed that he doesn't really fit on, it requires constant upkeep, we also have a trailer that we have used on the days the Transit says no. But neither are ideal. Transporting McQueen has been an eye-opener. There have been so many near misses on motorways, we've had cars stop in the outside lane to take pictures, we've had cars swerving across lanes, when they realise its Lightning McQueen.

We've had people try and unhitch the trailer in services and the worst is when, after loading him up late one night, some not nice people decided to loosen his straps, in the two hours we were away. This could have resulted in us losing Lightning McQueen and/or caused a big accident. Turns out that's what jealousy can do.

Last year returning from a gorgeous little man's final journey, Lightning McQueen lost his teeth, we have no idea when or where they fell out. And have never found them.

Lightning McQueen has also been hit in 2023 by a combine harvester on a country lane, this resulted in us having to undertake repairs, respray him, and have a complete set new decals made up and fitted. (Thanks partly to help from some amazing people).

He needs to be safe on his travels and we need to keep others safe. We have personally purchased a crew cab sprinter out of own pocket and a fifth wheel that we intend to fit. We now need to purchase a braked trailer and container to make an enclosed unit to transport him in. The idea is to make this unit look like Mac, his lorry from the Disney Cars film. (Well a much smaller but similar version ).

As a family we just cannot fund the build of the unit ourselves and we would never take the funds away from the charity. This is where we need your help. We want to get Lightning McQueen to see you, regardless of where in the country you are. And more importantly we want to get him to more families that need him on their darkest days.

We are so appreciative of any donation, we truly are.

Thank you for getting this far and reading our story.

Sue and the JB and ME team.