In the first installment of the hit movie “Cars” the main character, Lightning McQueen, is a self-centered, out of control race car with a bright future; and with a few mix ups with local law enforcement, he is set on a path of redemption which changes his attitude for the better.
McQueen’s second chance not only earned him love and friendship, but made him charitable in moments where he would have been selfish otherwise.
Enter Korey Anderson, a 24-year-old college student and IT professional. You may have seen his car around town. It is a 2018 Dodge Challenger RT he calls McQueen, and it is styled to look just like Lightning McQueen from the movie.
With bright red paint and graphics to mimic McQueen’s styling and sponsors, it isn’t a very subtle car.
I met Anderson in the parking lot of the now closed civic center. He and several other members of 3MC Car Club were parked in a neat line, preparing all morning to give back to the community with the homeless outreach charity “Compass for Hope.”
“Previously to it being Lightning McQueen, it had a pretty troubled driving history. The car had previously had an accident, and I had a lot of tickets between reckless driving and speeding. It was either I lose my car due to court cases and fees, and getting kicked off my insurance, or I tighten up. Instead of me selling my car and continuing to go down the wrong path, I decided to do something positive with my car,” Anderson said.
Anderson and his car club were there to help with Compass for Hope, an organization that provides basic necessities to the area homeless like showers, clothing, and meals.
“Compass for Hope builds the foundation for a lot of people in the area. We come in and help when and where we can. One thing I am a part of is the shower trailers,” Anderson said. “We make sure everyone has a clean set of clothes, a towel, and a washcloth, so they can take themselves a shower. A lot of them rely on us because they may not get a chance to shower until this Sunday.”
McQueen can also be seen at schools and public events, bringing joy into the lives of children and adults. I have seen many postings of Anderson and McQueen at events and just being photographed in traffic, and the public reaction is always joyous.
“Our daughter used to see Lightning nearly every day on the way to and from school. Never stopped losing her mind about it. Every time,” stated Kelly Rosema in a Facebook comment under a picture of Anderson and McQueen.
While interviewing Anderson, several people came and took pictures of the car, and everyone had a big smile on their face. I have seen six figure supercars evoke less reaction than Anderson’s Lightning McQueen tribute.
While not a supercar, the Dodge Challenger still has many maintenance and operations costs which can be a challenge for a college student to cover. These costs are helped by people booking Anderson for birthday parties, private events, and even rides. This helps Anderson keep McQueen in good shape and allows him to continue with his more charitable pursuits.
Anderson and his car can be booked on Facebook if you find his page, McQueen Augusta.
While McQueen is perfect as he is, Anderson has some improvements in the works.
“The very next thing we are going to do is make him talk, which will be done pretty soon.” Anderson said.
Not every unruly car enthusiast gets their chance at redemption. I certainly wish Anderson and McQueen all the luck as they spread the love in our community, delighting children and adults alike.
As for me, I will see you on the road!
