Gordon to carry FDNY/Special Olympics colors

NEW YORK -- NASCAR Winston Cup driver Robby Gordon, who finished fifth in the New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway yesterday, made a special appearance at a New York City fire house today to unveil a new FDNY-Special Olympics paint scheme. Gordon's No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Monte Carlo will promote Fire Safety Awareness and the Special Olympics at NASCAR's Winston Cup race at Watkins Glen International on August 10.

Gordon gave several Special Olympics athletes and "New York's bravest" of Engine Company 16 / Ladder Company 7 a thrill they are likely to never forget: With traffic temporarily stopped, he drove his race car onto Second Avenue at 29th street and performed several spectacular donuts.

Gordon first got to know the brave men and women of FDNY after touring Ground Zero following the attacks on NY in 2001. When he won the race at Loudon (scheduled for September 16 and held on November 23, 2001), he, car owner Richard Childress, and the No. 31 team members decided to donate the winnings ($203,924) to the Uniformed Firefighters Association's Widows and Children's Fund. His experience is chronicled in the book Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul.

	Credit: Contributed photo

Cingular Wireless will donate $50 to the Special Olympics and $50 to FDNY for each lap Gordon completes at the Watkins Glen event, and $500 to each organization for each lap Gordon leads. If Gordon takes the checkered flag, Cingular will donate $50,000 to each organization.

FDNY and Cingular Wireless are strong supporters of the Special Olympics, which promotes training and athletic competition for individuals with mental retardation. Participants develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy by sharing their athletic skills in an enriching environment. Members of the FDNY community proudly contribute their time to various Special Olympics events, providing equipment set-up and support at athletic events.

The FDNY Fire Safety Education Fund is the non-profit foundation of the Fire Department of the City of New York. The Fund supports the FDNY in serving the public and saving lives through fire safety education and other joint projects. The Fund, in conjunction with the Fire Department, created a state of the art learning center in Rockefeller Center in 2001.

More the 100,000 School children and visitors from across the city and throughout the nation have visited the Fire Zone experiencing first hand the important lessons of prevention, practice and planning. The Fund is the only organization sanctioned by the Fire Department and the City of New York to market the FDNY logo. A significant portion of the proceeds from the sale of officially licensed FDNY Fire Zone products goes to support the work of the Fund.