News : Cookies will help a family fight for someone else

When the community loses a member of its own, and that member is gone way too early, it hits everyone. It doesn't matter if you know the person or not, chances are you know at least one member of the family. Then you see someone reaching out and using social media for good, during this terrible, sad, no-good situation. But I wasn't surprised, not in Vinton.

Using her cookie decorating talents with social media to raise some money for the Coots family, Hayley Rippel, used the Super Bowl as her theme and proceeded to auction off two dozen cookies. Rippel posted, "Our hearts are breaking for our friends who lost their beloved son Justin. Please keep the Coots family in your thoughts and prayers. As I was frosting these cookies last night I was thinking about him. So in his honor, I'll open up a bidding war on these two boxes of cookies." Rippel posted. Close to $1,000 was raised for the family through her efforts.

If you aren't aware of it, Justin had his own TikTok channel called, "JCLX345." With more than 70 thousand followers and 1.2 million likes, he used his channel as a way to educate people about cars. In a no-nonsense manner, and at times a bit of humor and levity, he entertained views. Someone had commented about unmarked police cars and how they shouldn't be allowed, and Justin commented on that. You can watch it by clicking here. It's safe to say he had a great head on his shoulders. He wasn't without a sense of humor either. This one discusses the Audi.

For me, I enjoyed the sound of his car in his TikToks and for a gal who knows absolutely nothing about cars, I found that I actually learned something from one of his "toks." I learned that stock and mod cars are not the same. Stock cars cannot be modified and modified cars cannot be stock. I'd never pondered it before, but now I know. For anyone interested in cars, this will be a channel you will want to check out and enjoy.
Justin was only 23 when he passed following a very short battle with Renal Medullary Carcinoma. If you would like to donate to help fight Renal Medullary Carcinoma, the family plans to use any memorials to fight this disease in his honor. Services for Justin will be this Saturday click this link for information.

Our thoughts and prayers go out for the family at this time of great loss.