Despite the immeasurable strength and courage he devoted to his bat tle with Ewing’s Sarcoma, Ian gained his wings on June 15, 2021—but not before making a major impact on CKC and his favorite auction house, Mecum Auctions. During the last few years of his life, Ian grew a loving interest in cars, and af ter the Mecum family learned about his gear- focused fascination from a mutual friend, Ian was invited to visit Mecum Auctions headquarters, where he met Dana and Frank Mecum. There, Ian had the chance to see all of the behind-the-scenes auction action as well as some amazing vehicles soon on their way to the auction block. Shortly after, Frank Mecum mentioned Ian’s story to Curing Kids Cancer Founder and President Grainne Owen, who knew immediately that she needed to meet Ian to witness his positive demeanor for herself. After speaking with Ian’s mother, Hillary Lang, about the possibility of at tending an upcoming Indy auction, the Mecum family offered to cover any related costs for the Langs to become a part of the live auction action. It was here that Owen first recognized Ian’s strong-willed spirit and enduring positive at titude. "It was like we had known each other for years," Owen said, referring to an af ter-auction dinner with Ian and his family. "Ian was so gentle, funny, interesting. I will forever remember Ian. I’m still very close friends with the Lang family. " According to CKC and those who knew Ian, his mindset was along the lines of, "If you can’t run fast, you may as well drive fast!" This mentality and Ian’s will to help others battle Ewing’s Sarcoma led the organization to create the annual "Ian 500," a unique virtual race designed to raise funds to support new, cutting-edge research efforts for childhood Ewing’s Sarcoma treatments. With the COVID pandemic in full swing, a "virtual race" seemed like the best solution to engage supporters while still having some gasoline-fueled fun. To participate, each virtual "team" registers online where they are paired against each other. As money is raised by a team, its car pulls ahead into "first place," and the final winner is determined by the team that finishes the furthest ahead, based on who has the most donors and the largest dollar amount earned. There are multiple fun ways to win recognition, including for becoming the "Top Fundraising Team," having the "Most Donors" or the "Best Car in Show," as well as via Facebook postings in which teams can upload their group photo with their ride of choice and win specific categories like "Best Muscle Car" and "Best Themed Car." MECUM.COM // 115
