Family members, former classmates, friends and many more gathered early Saturday morning to honor the memory of Jackson Barefoot, a Midway High School student who died in a bicycle accident in 2018.
This was the second time the Tour De Sunflower was held in Jackson’s memory. The first event, in 2019, raised $14,000, which was enough money to fully fund the Jackson Barefoot Memorial Scholarship for the past seven years. Jackson’s mom, Renee Jackson, and her close friend, Ginger Naylor, organized the event, along with help from members of the scholarship committee.
They decided to hold the Tour De Sunflower again this year, because funds were beginning to run low.
“We could have funded it for two more years, but we knew things were kind of getting close,” Renee told The Sampson Independent. “Ginger is the one that had the vision for this. This was not my idea. This was Ginger Naylor’s vision, and she brought it to me and asked me what I thought. So that’s the reason that the Tour De Sunflower was started. Her with the help of a lot of friends, and it’s that way this time as well. We have a lot of friends and family support. And from that, we have been fortunate enough — or should I say, blessed enough — to help send eight students to college.”
While pursuing a degree in music is not a requirement for the scholarship, the senior should attend Midway High School and be a member of the band. This year’s recipient will be announced on May 15.
“Jackson was a section leader in the band, and that’s why we decided to start the scholarship,” Naylor said. “Because Jackson just had a heart for music.”
Renee says her son had expressed the desire to go into music beyond high school. “He was proud of the band, proud to be a part of the band,” she shared. “And because of that, I feel like that’s just a part of the way that we can honor who he was.”
Although the Tour De Sunflower started as a 17-mile bicycle ride, because Jackson was riding his bicycle when he was struck by a car in 2018, this year, there were about 100 individuals walking a three-mile route, while just a handful of people cycled the 17 miles.
At Saturday’s Tour De Sunflower, Midway High School band member Ella Love performed the National Anthem on the trumpet, and one of Jackson’s classmates, Adam Butler, said a prayer.
“I never had a favorite Bible verse before, but Jackson talked about his favorite Bible verse,” Butler shared. “He helped me pick my favorite Bible verse — Proverbs 3:5-6. ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.’ When I think of Jackson, I think about things like that. Jackson always had a very calm and trusting demeanor, and was a great friend to have growing up.”
Naylor said she was “very excited” about the turnout for the event. “We’ve had a lot of participation, a lot of volunteers,” she stated. “I’ve just been amazed at the sponsorships and the people supporting this event.”