On a chilly morning in March, a Warrenton resident and car enthusiast living with terminal cancer got to see an outpouring of love and support from a regional car club that brought a parade to his neighborhood just for him.

Family members of Cullen Clark, 60, and members of his SSM Health hospice team came up with the idea to bring a car parade to Clark as part of SSM’s “Memories That Last” program. Clark, who has an intellectual disability, has always had a passion for cars, and caretakers said looking forward to the event raised his spirits for days beforehand.

“It was heartfelt. He couldn’t believe that many people would show up for a dying man’s last request,” said his niece, Vanita Corbin, who is the caretaker for Clark and several other family members. “We had to go through a whole roll of paper towels because he was crying so much from happiness.”

Corbin said the event has given Clark some extra cheer ever since, and that he mentions every day that there was a parade just for him. She’s grateful to all the SSM staff and car enthusiasts who made the parade possible.

“Thank you, and God bless you,” Corbin said.

Gina Bax, a social worker with SSM’s hospice program, said her team was moved to do something special for Clark after his niece lamented that he isn’t able to go to car shows or races in his condition. So the team decided to bring a car show to him, and contacted the Misfit Toys Car Club, an O’Fallon-based group that focuses on raising awareness for autism, but also provides other programs for those in need.

Within a week, a parade of about 100 cars was arranged to pass by Clark’s house on Debby Street in Warrenton on Saturday, March 20. Clark and his family smiled and waved as the vehicles passed by, with caretakers later commenting that Clark was still in disbelief that so many strangers cared enough to come see him.

“Just to see his reaction, and know the community is behind him, was really special,” Bax said.

Ryan DeClue, the head of Misfit Toys Car Club, said it can be emotionally difficult to come out and meet someone like Clark, who is facing the end of his life. But he said members of his community won’t hesitate to help someone they hear is in need.

“We feel it’s our God-given mission to go out and help any of our fellow human beings,” DeClue said. “It’s really easy to look around and see all the bad, but it takes some effort to do good.”

He added that he was humbled to speak with Clark and his family during the parade and see the positive impact it had for them, even in such a difficult situation.

“They were expressing gratitude, and we always say it’s not us (as organizers), it’s the community,” DeClue said. “Nobody ever needs to thank us. It’s a privilege for us to do this.”

More than a week after the event was done, Corbin said people in the Misfit Toys community are still reaching out to send them photos of cars, give their good wishes and offer to take Clark for a ride. Corbin said her uncle isn’t able to get out, but that he’d be willing to make a special effort for one car in particular.

“He said he’d love a ride in a 1963 Corvette.”