YEEEE-HAAAAWW! Shirts Turn Crashes into Cash for Clay-Ray Vets
Excelsior Springs, Mo. – The Clay-Ray Veterans have had a year unlike any other. In 2025, not once but twice, cars went airborne and crashed into the roof of Memorial Hall, only months apart. What could have been the end of the building instead became a rallying point for the community, with the board determined to push through repairs and reopen the doors.
The first crash came on February 15, when a vehicle launched off Wildwood Avenue and tore through the roof, leaving more than $256,000 in damage. Crews were still making repairs when, on May 28, another driver suffered a medical emergency and plowed into the same spot. Remarkably, in both instances, there were no fatalities or life-threatening injuries, a bit of luck that allowed the community to bring some humor to an otherwise serious situation.
All summer long, the Clay-Ray Veterans Association board and contractors worked to restore the hall. At the same time, neighbors stepped forward with offers of time, money, and support. Some volunteered. Others donated. And then there were the shirts.
The Excelsior Citizen’s “Yeehaw” shirts became an instant hit, blending humor with hometown pride. The design shows an orange Dodge Charger soaring over Memorial Hall, echoing the stunts of a certain small-town TV classic. Across the front, in bold block letters, stretched one long “YEEEE HAAAAWW!” The shirts were part fundraiser, part inside joke, and the community bought in. More than 700 shirts sold, raising $5,400 after expenses. An anonymous local veteran matched the total, bringing the final donation to $10,400.
On August 22, a week after the Hall officially reopened, Excelsior Citizen founders Courtney and Jason Cole presented the $10,400 check from fundraising during Friday night bingo, drawing cheers and applause.
What began with a playful shirt and a flying car turned into real help for a building that directly serves veterans and their families. Two accidents may have put the Hall out of service for months, but the response showed that Excelsior Springs was going to do what it takes to make sure their efforts to reopen were successful. The Excelsior Citizen sincerely thanks everyone who contributed and will continue to wear their shirts proudly.
Today, the Clay-Ray Veterans Hall is back in business. The veterans are encouraging the community to keep supporting by attending public events, following the Hall’s Facebook page, and lending direct support to local veterans. And if the past year offered any lesson, it may be that the best way to help might be to leave stunt driving to the TV reruns.
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