Caleb Hammond, the brave 11-year-old race fan who requested racing stickers be applied to his coffin when he passed away, will be laid to rest Saturday in his hometown of Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Visitation will be held Friday at Gateway Church of the Nazarene in Oskaloosa, starting at 11 a.m. CT. His funeral will be Saturday, at the same church, at 10:30 a.m. CT.
In one of Caleb’s last requests, he asked that those attending both his wake and funeral wear either Green Bay Packers clothing or racing regalia, per a report by WHO-TV in Des Moines, Iowa.
Funeral Services Set for Caleb Hammond https://t.co/tCi0wRhW7y
— WHO 13 News (@WHO13news) September 11, 2018
Caleb passed away early Monday morning after a two-plus year battle with leukemia. His family had stopped treatments last month when doctors said the leukemia was too far advanced to continue treatment.
“To know Caleb was to know how strong, brave, loving, caring and courageous he was,” his obituary read. “To his parents he was their strength, the sunshine to their days, their hero but first and foremost, he was their Little Boy.
“Caleb was selfless and hated seeing his parents sad when he was sick, he was stubborn and held on until they all fell asleep.”
MORE: Racing stickers pour in for casket of 11-year-old Iowa boy dying from leukemia
Caleb had asked several local area Iowa race teams to send him stickers to apply to his coffin when he passed away. The story went viral globally and brought together the world of motorsport in a way that hasn’t been seen in a long time.
Teams and drivers from IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA, World of Outlaws and other racing teams and sanctioning bodies inundated Caleb’s home with countless stickers as well as a variety of souvenirs, autographs, photos and more.
Caleb was remembered prior to Monday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a moment of silence.
Given the response from IndyCar and NHRA teams to Caleb’s request for stickers for his coffin, it’s likely he’ll also be remembered this weekend at the IndyCar race in Sonoma, California, and the NHRA race in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Even in his final weeks, Caleb never stopped smiling or displaying a spirit that brought both smiles and tears to countless individuals that didn’t even know him, particularly race car drivers like Kyle Larson.
Was hoping to get a win for Caleb today. Was cool to read a couple weeks back that I was his favorite driver. He was a fighter and I was honored to be able to take a picture with him in victory lane at Oskaloosa in August! RIP buddy!! pic.twitter.com/Id2HgxIUTn
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) September 11, 2018
Among the special moments Caleb got to enjoy before his passing was being honored with a ride around his local short track, Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, on August 18, where he won a ceremonial race in his honor.
He also was treated to a 200-mph ride in a $3 million Ferrari around Iowa Speedway near his home in the weeks before his condition worsened.
Boy Dying Of Leukemia Asked For Racing Stickers On His Casket, Got Something Cooler: A Ride In A $3M Ferrari. Caleb Hammond got a chance to hit the track with a professional driver, reaching speeds over 200 miles per hour. https://t.co/mtDmH5nYhV
— The Inquisitr (@theinquisitr) September 3, 2018
Here are some additional and noteworthy posts from social media remembering and honoring Caleb:
Our thoughts & prayers are with the family & friends of Caleb Hammond as he finished his race with cancer early this morning. We were lucky to spend time with Caleb at Oskaloosa in early August. Race in peace, Caleb 🏁🙏🏻 #calebstrong pic.twitter.com/Om5hB8Tfpy
— Tony Stewart Racing (@TonyStewart_Rcg) September 10, 2018
A moment of silence at @IMS for 11-year-old Caleb Hammond, who died earlier this morning after a battle with leukemia. #TeamCaleb pic.twitter.com/cdUfaGvT6y
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 10, 2018
Many in @IMS racing in honor and memory of Caleb Hammond today. #TeamCaleb #RIP pic.twitter.com/baNoH8QvBI
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) September 10, 2018
I was lucky enough to meet Caleb Hammond @oskychanllenge in early August. What the racing community did for & with Caleb the last month was amazing. Thoughts and prayers to his family & friends. #teamcaleb #calebstrong #RIP pic.twitter.com/viYWSbUtiH
— Kasey Kahne (@kaseykahne) September 10, 2018