Local fan meets her hero

Bea Steen poses with stock car driver Dale Jarrett at the “Get on Track Down Under with Dale Jarrett” event in Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 28. Bea Steen was ‘honored’ and got everything she wanted out of a trip to the NASCAR Banquet 400 stock car race in Overland, Kan., two weekend’s ago. But if you’ve ever crossed paths with the lady everyone affectionately refers to as “Aunt Bea,” then you probably think she deserves even more.

Steen, a cancer survivor, has been an avid fan of everything going on in the world of sports in the Capital City area for years. She’s hosted numerous players from the local baseball and hockey farm clubs, but mostly it’s her infectious, upbeat personality that makes others just want to be around her.

Having Steen as one of your backers is a bigger honor than she may ever realize and the fact that she just brushes off that notion only makes her sincerity as a fan stand out even more.

In this particular case Steen is a big fan of stock car racer Dale Jarrett. She doesn’t just like Jarrett for his racing, but also his work with those less fortunate. Among Jarrett’s charities are the American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Brenner’s Children Hospital. He is also the NASCAR spokesman for the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program.

Last year, she took in a NASCAR event in Las Vegas. While ‘hanging around’ the UPS corporate tent of Dale Jarrett she, as per her usual, struck up conversations with passersby and before long was in deep with a UPS spokesperson. Next thing you know the UPS folks are inviting her to come to an event as a guest of honor.

Shortly thereafter Steen got the bad news that she had cancer. Months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments would’ve made missing an invitation seem minor for most, but not Aunt Bea.


She kept her mind on meeting her hero and as things began to get better, she got hold of UPS and asked if the offer was still good. It was, of course, and Steen began making plans to get to Overland Park, which is a suburb of Kansas City.

“The cancer is in remission and I haven’t had any complications from it since,” Steen said. “It can come back and I’m scheduled for a MRI and CAT Scan in February just to check if it’s spreading.”

The trip to Las Vegas made Steen an even bigger fan of Jarrett’s as she was given jackets and other paraphernalia befitting one of his top fans. Still she wasn’t one of the Team Jarrett’s elite members and could only attend the gala, such as the one in Overland Park by special invite. The dinner with Jarrett was hosted by Outback Steakhouse, which assisted Steen mightily in the endeavor.

Steen’s children, who ponied up the money for her airfare, made the trip possible. She got discounts on her room, race tickets and ground transportation. Steen got to meet with Jarrett and he autographed her fan club cap and “Toys for Tots” (another Jarrett sponsor) model car.

As for Jarrett, he finished fourth in what was one of his best finishes of an off season for him.

Her seats were in the grandstands just up from Pit Row and down from the starting line.

“They were awesome seats,” she said. “But to be honest it’s better to watch it on TV. It’s great being there, don’t get me wrong, but there’s too much action and it’s hard to follow.

“I just really appreciate everything that everyone did, so that I could do this. It was just great.”

Bea Steen submitted this Article by TOM STUBER IR Sports Writer 10/10/2006