Kids & Family

Racers Club Teaches More Than Just Car Lessons

Local organization started more than 20 years ago.

It was more than 20 years ago when Freehold resident Al Michenfelder made his way to one of the borough’s Kruise Nights that an idea started that has impacted two generations of local children.

When former Councilman Marc LeVine saw Michenfelder carrying more than 30 model cars he suggested starting a club to teach children how to make them. Since then the club has held weekly meetings, now at at Cafe 360, where the future builders learn about more than just the cars they assemble. “Some kids don’t have a sibling so they learn how to work with each other,” Michenfelder said. “In six months of the class they become friends, some of us have become family and some of the kids marry each other.”

The Freehold Racers Club is open for kids from Kindergarten through middle school. Since its founding the club has gotten assistance from national companies and local businesses to provide close to 140 members a unique experience. Companies like Valvoline, he said provide backpacks for the kids which include things like branded hats, water bottles and plenty of stickers.

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Locally he credited places like Freehold Tire for helping the club get materials from companies like Michelin. The club also hosts an event called the Jester Challenge with help from The Court Jester. Winners get a gift card to the Main Street restaurant while the winner of the best paint job gets a certificate for Jersey Freeze.

Describing himself as a racing fanatic Michenfelder said he enjoys teaching lessons the kids might not learn in the local schools. “Sometimes I teach life lessons that teachers don’t have time to teach,” he said. “lessons like boys learning to open the doors for mommy and how to help each other when nobody else teaches how to do that.”

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Most club members are boys but Michenfelder said there are usually some girls including the club president this year. Since the club started, he said he has enjoyed seeing the members grow up and go off to receive college educations.

It has been a long road getting to this point and Michenfelder said he does not know how much longer he will keep the club going. “The kids will tell me when to end,” he said. “For me, I was saying to my wife if we hit 25 (years) I’m happy.”



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