Last Friday, September 26th, was an exciting night for everyone at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville! On this night, the Police-N-Pursuit wives and girlfriends drove in the race to help the Rettland Foundation raise $7,500 to fight against Rett Syndrome.
Before the race started, announcer Tony Karis explained what Rett Syndrome is and how it primarily affects little girls. The three girls with the condition, Claire English, Avery Robertson and Izzy Crocker were introduced. The crowd roared when Karis announced how much the race had raised to combat Rett Syndrome.
Just seeing all nine of the black and whites roaring out of the pit area and onto the oval dirt track flashing their emergency roof lights was enough to get everyone’s pulse going.
The twelve-lap race had ScottsValley’s Stephanie Hohmann in her husband’s 1994 Plymouth Acclaim in the lead until almost the very end. Then Serina Jones driving a 2013 Ford Explorer, representing Sacramento California Highway Patrol, took the lead and won. ScottsValley’s Rachell Milroy’s 1991 Toyota Corolla managed to edge out Stephanie Hohmann, who came in third. Santa Cruz Police Department’s Dominique Hohmann, driving a 1984 Ford Thunderbird, came in fourth.
Winner Serina Jones, from the Sacramento area, heard about the race from a California Highway Patrol officer friend, Jesse Mueller, who is on the CHP in Sacramento. She said she wasn’t nervous until the very end “when things got sketchy on the track, like drifting.” She added, “I don’t know the families personally, but I am glad that this event helped raise so much money for them and the cause. I hear one of the little girls especially was in good spirits…I’m sure they all had a wonderful time.”
Rachell Milroy of ScottsValley, whose husband works for the Scotts Valley Police Department, and who came in second, said it was “a great event, so exciting.” She wanted to thank all the local businesses that were so generous in supporting the fundraiser whether by donating money or gift cards to restaurants or other businesses. The community support was tremendous and she would do it again in a heartbeat, if asked.
Stephanie Hohmann, wife of Scotts Valley Police Department retired/reserve officer, John Hohmann, valiantly drove his 1994 Plymouth Acclaim and led the pack until the very end when Serena Jones and Rachell Milroy passed her by. Her instructions were, “Hold your line and come out fast.” She did about 10 laps before she thought, “What am I doing?”
Stephanie and John are friends with their neighbors, the English Family, and it was John’s idea to have the “Police-N-Pursuit” fundraising race at Ocean Speedway with the wives and girlfriends of officers racing. According to John, “The wives and girlfriends have been standing by and watching us race for six years and it seemed like a good idea for them to actually participate for a change.”
John, a police officer on Scotts Valley Police Department for 32 years, has also been fundraising for the Special Olympics for about ten years with the “Police-N-Pursuit” program. The owner of Ocean Speedway has been very supportive of Special Olympics and agreed to have the special Rett Syndrome fundraiser.
Colleen and Jared English have two daughters: Claire and Chloe. Claire has Rett Syndrome. Chloe wants to become a police officer like her neighbor John Hohmann.
Two other Rett Syndrome-affected families were there as well. Erika and Ryan Robertson, have a son, Nolan, and a daughter, Avery, who has Rett Syndrome. Joshua and Mary Crocker, who, like the English family, live in ScottsValley and have two daughters, Sarah and Izzy. Izzy has Rett Syndrome.
The English family recently returned from Boston where Claire had been selected to be part of a newly-developed medication trial. She has been using this trial medication for a month. Colleen says, “This is the first time in nine years that I see progress in controlling the seizures. Claire was really able to enjoy the whole evening!”
She continued: “What really got me was that so many people were happy to jump in, drive, donate, whatever. As soon as they heard about Claire and what we are doing they just wanted to help and that is what makes the hard days so much easier, knowing that people are out there and want to help. It was a really great lead into October as Rett Syndrome Awareness Month.”
For more information on Rett Syndrome or to donate, please see Rettland.org.
