On November 25, 2006, a seventeen year old student from Ava, Missouri died in a car accident. The unfortunate victim of someone else’s poor judgment. Jacob Yeates’ S10 pickup was hit head-on by someone passing at high speed on a blind hill.

But this isn’t the story of a tragic end, rather it’s the story of an amazing beginning.

Jacob Yeates, “Jake,” moved to Ava from Arizona along with his parents in June, 2006. He missed Arizona and he missed his friends there, but Jake was the kind of person who made new friends quickly and he got acclimated to Ava pretty well.

Jake played high school football, enjoyed weight lifting and loved to hunt. But his biggest thrill was the old 1972 Chevy Nova he rebuilt. That interest eventually led him to the drag racing strip and he was hooked. Jake took first place in the trophy class 2 out of the 4 times that he ran his car at the local strip.

A junior in 2006, Jake was looking forward to his final year of high school and he often talked about how good the football team was going to be. And he most certainly looked forward to more racing and probably spent a few moments of his spare time planning improvements and modifications for the Nova.

Everyone who knew Jake understood his caring nature and the way he tried to help others by fixing a car or lending a helping hand, being supportive to someone troubled or just knowing the value of a well-timed smile.

It was after the accident that Jake’s parents and friends realized just how much Jake was doing. He bought meals for students who did not have the money to buy one themselves. He often kept extra coats and jackets in his vehicle just in case someone needed one. He helped out where and when he could, with money from his own pocket or by contributing with his time and talents.

After Jake’s passing, the family received so many cash donations they decided to begin a fund to help Ava area students. They began the Jacob Yeates Foundation so the school district could assist children with the purchase of glasses, field trip fees, school pictures, coats, club dues, sports equipment, yearbooks - items that a child might need or want but find out of reach because of personal financial constraints.

Jake’s family would like to continue supporting the Ava School District and enlarge the Jacob Yeates Foundation to serve other school districts in the Ozarks and in other areas of the country.

And in keeping with the spirit of Jake Yeates, the biggest fundraiser for the foundation is to be held this coming Saturday, April 26th at ... the Ozark International Raceway in Rogersville, Missouri. That will be the site of the Jake Yeates Memorial Fundraiser Drag Race.

Proceeds from the event will be used to keep providing assistance to Ava area students. The hope is to also be able to offer grant money to other school districts so they can begin their own chapters of the Jacob Yeates Foundation.

To find out more about the fundraiser, go to: http://www.4jake.org/ .

Or you can get a quick summary about the event right here on freshare.