Walker Family Thank You

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Mike Walker was a firm believer that a man’s wealth was not measured by the money in his bank accounts, but rather by his family and friends. Two weeks ago we found out just how wealthy our man turned out to be and as the days go by, he only grows richer. As we work through the process of losing our husband, dad and friend, our minds can’t help but go back to that very dark day and recall the people that are so very deserving of our thanks. At the time the accident happened, there was a gentleman that was so quick to be at my side and help until the emergency crew arrived. I do not know your name, but hope to thank you personally some day. The emergency crew arrived in just a few minutes and worked so hard. We cannot express our feelings of gratitude to you all for the effort that was put out to help him. Your job is not an easy one, and it takes a very special person to do what you do. Bobby Hicks with Team Aruba came over to me while the emergency crew was working on Mike. Bobby, your words were so kind and when you prayed with me there, the peace of God came over me and I knew I was going to have the strength I needed to get through whatever lay ahead.Mike Fulfer, ADRL Chaplain, where do I begin? You rode with me on the trip to the hospital which seemed to take forever; you were there when I received the worst news of my life; you were with me when I said goodbye to My Loverman; you and your wife have embraced my kids and me with your prayers and love and we cannot thank you enough for being there for us. To the ER staff at the Adel hospital, your respect and professionalism did not go unnoticed. Thank you, so much for your kindness. To Ron Lipsey, Cook County Coroner, with the most difficult job of all, you handled your task with gentle professionalism. Thank you for all of your help. After our family made the decision to stay at the track that night to honor our Mike, the outpouring of love and support from so many people was unbelievable. We were approached by total strangers so many times with the same words of comfort and concern over and over again. Fans and fellow racing teams alike, your words and hugs kept us going through the afternoon and evening. We thank you. I know there is no way to name each team that reached out to us that day and for many days to come, but we do want to send special thanks to Team Murphy/Price and Team Ballance for staying so close to us through the whole day, covering your cars with sweet messages for our man and dedicating your first-round passes to him. You are not only friends, you are our family and we are so thankful for you. Jason and Mitchell Scruggs and everyone on the Scruggs team, the dedication of your race and your victory that day to Mike was unexpected and an unbelievable act of compassion and kindness to our family. Mike was one of the biggest Scruggs fans out there, he had such respect for your family operation, the humble approach you carry with you and the way you drive that car with all-out fierce fortitude! Our sincere thanks to you for your gracious tribute. Kenny Nowling, you are such a sweet, compassionate man. I remember the day that Mike first told me about this new racing series called the ADRL and how he knew that it was going to be a success. He said the man that headed it up truly cared about the racers and that was going to make the difference.Your genuine concern for us came through from the minute you arrived on the accident scene, to the evening opening ceremonies when you expressed your heartfelt words, to the first round of Pro Nitrous when you and Jess embraced us on the starting line as our racing family paid tribute to our Mike. One thing that Mike admired about you as he watched you and your dream come alive over the years is the passion and commitment that you lead your operation with. “Thank you” does not seem enough to convey the heartfelt gratitude we feel toward you. Not only for the support that you have shown us in the last two weeks, but also for dreaming a dream and making it possible for a man to fulfill his own dream of racing as a family team at the finest places to race, in front of the finest crowds drag racing has ever seen. Again to you, our deepest thanks. Some men have made the comment that Mike was a very lucky man, who when his time came, left this world doing what he loved the most, with the people he loved the most around him. I am still trying to wrap my brain around everything that has transpired over the last two weeks. It is hard to believe that one minute you can be sharing a Pop-Tart and a few sweet moments together while preparing for the day, and the next minute a horrible accident occurs and your life is altered forever. The words that someone shared with me not long after he left us come to mind so often, and we would like to leave you with them as we say one last “Thank you” to everyone who has shared hugs, tears, laughs and even just sweet compassionate smiles … Forgive quickly, love deeply and live every day with no regrets. (That’s exactly what Mike did.) Sincerely, Melanie WalkerSara WalkerBlake Housley

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