Knowing that they can help at least one child through the inaugural St. Jude Culinary 500 will be an uplifting experience for Barry and Laurie Wanser and a tribute to their son, Michael.

The July 24 event at the Target Chip Ganassi Racing facility in Indianapolis benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the largest center in the United States for the treatment and research of pediatric cancer and other life-threatening childhood diseases.

Michael Wanser was a cancer patient at the facility in Memphis, Tenn.

After Michael was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2010, he underwent a bone marrow transplant. It didn’t produce the desired results and his parents turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The cancer proved to too aggressive for a second transplant, and on Oct. 23, 2011, he passed away. “Iron Man” Michael was 6 years old.

“For Laurie and me, it’s going to be difficult,” said Barry Wanser, team manager for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. “The flashbacks we have; it never goes away. A lot of people try to put themselves in your shoes and we don’t want anybody to try to image (the anguish).

“We know they did everything they could; we have nothing but respect for the dedicated doctors and researchers at St. Jude “It didn’t change our outcome, but it definitely affected our thoughts for the future. Whatever we can do to possibly help save one more child that saves thousands throughout the world because what researchers at St. Jude do is share throughout the pediatric oncology communities.”

Since 1997, Target Chip Ganassi Racing has raised more than $500,000 for St. Jude Children's Hospital and Target House, which provides patients’ families free residence near the hospital, by donating $5,000 for each race victory, $1,000 for each pole position and $25 for each lap led. The hospital’s $1.8 million daily operating cost is primarily covered by public contributions.

Click it: Make a donation

Live auction items include an IZOD IndyCar Series VIP weekend with driver meet and greet and four VIP tickets to “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and a tour of Leno’s private garage in Burbank, Calif.

Silent auctions items include tickets to “The Late Show with David Letterman,” autographed memorabilia from A.J. Foyt, an autographed Dario Franchitti helmet, a corporate team-building retreat, and a football autographed by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. For further information, contact Nichole Ornelas at nichole.ornelas@stjude.org.

“It’s expanded to be a pretty large event and it would be a goal to do an annual event,” Wanser said. “(The goal is to raise) $250,000, but regardless of what’s raised it still will help St. Jude. What St. Jude has available to families who have children in treatment there is phenomenal and needed.”