BY AMY BALTODANO
Hays Post

Courtesy of Brenda and Mark Linenberger, Holy Family Elementary School students received a surprise Monday when Cindy Washburn’s kindergarten-prep class participated in their annual event “Fun Day in the Sun.”

The students began the day at the bowling alley, then they were supposed to go to the park for lunch. However, due to the weather, they went back to their classroom. After lunch, the group was taken to play miniature golf.

The surprise was a monster truck ride to end the day.  

“They were excited and they know we are into monster trucks heavily,” said truck owner Brenda Linenberger, whose son, Kobe, is in the class.

In 2010, Brenda’s husband, Mark was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. Cancer-free for five years, they expressed their gratitude to the community for all of the help they received during that time — and would like to return the favor.

“We want to give back to the community,” Brenda said. “Glad he is still here and we have the opportunity to do this.”

The family has a long history of monster trucks. In the 1980s, Mark used to race in a monster truck called “Night Warrior.”

The family owns Warrior Motor Sports, which allows him to still be involved through selling parts and racing.

Their 5-year-old son, Kobe, wants to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“We call our son, ‘Son of a warrior.’ He said he is going to do what his daddy does when he gets big,” Brenda said.

Her husband just got back from doing a show in Mississippi for five days. The family has traveled all over country, but is still working on getting the truck ready for future fundraisers.

“Nothing is set in stone yet, but we are hoping to have one. No date has been set, so we can give back to Holy Elementary or another night gives back to Cancer Council here in Hays,” said Brenda. “They were big into our stuff with our help with my husband if we needed it.”

She is certain on one thing, kids come first and they are our future, she said.

“It’s kind of important to focus on things like this and they can achieve their dreams that if there is anything they want to do, to just work for it and they can achieve anything you want,” she said.