Costner will serve as NASCAR Day spokesman

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The NASCAR Foundation announced Thursday that actor/musician Kevin Costner will serve as the 2009 NASCAR Day spokesperson. Celebrated on May 15, NASCAR Day is an opportunity for fans, corporations, schools and organizations across the country to make donations to the NASCAR Foundation to raise funds for its Family of Charities in an effort to help thousands of children live better lives.

Kevin Costner

Costner will appear in print, radio and television advertising to promote the industry's charitable initiative. Past celebrity supporters for NASCAR Day include Will Ferrell, Kelly Clarkson, Garth Brooks and several Sprint Cup Series drivers.

Costner recently announced a year-long partnership with NASCAR that includes an appearance in a NASCAR Day commercial with Cup Series driver Kyle Petty that debuts at the Daytona 500; narration of the CMT documentary The Ride of Their Lives; the NASCAR film and music video debut of Backyard, the newest single by Costner's band Modern West on NASCAR.COM that also serves as the theme song for the NASCAR Day campaign this year. (watch video)

"We are thrilled to have Kevin be the spokesperson for our NASCAR Day efforts," said Betty Jane France, chairwoman of the NASCAR Foundation. "Kevin has been welcomed into the NASCAR family over the last year with the number of events he has participated in and he will be a great ambassador for NASCAR Day and The NASCAR Foundation."

During the past six years, more than $5 million has been raised to help those who need it most in a celebration as unique as the sport itself. This year, NASCAR Day supporters can visit www.nascar.com/nascarday to learn how they can get their own copy of the song Backyard by Modern West.

"Having long been a NASCAR fan, it's a great honor to serve as this year's NASCAR Day spokesperson," Costner said. "Through this event, NASCAR fans can make a difference in their own backyard and just as the theme of this year's event states -- help those in need to chase their own dreams."

In 2008, the NASCAR Foundation donated nearly $1.3 million to more than 50 organizations from funds raised during NASCAR Day. Highlighting those donations were:

"The Ride of Their Lives" is a moving and adrenaline-filled journey chronicling the personalities and moments of America's revered home-grown sport via passionate, never-before seen first-person accounts.

• Order the DVD

• $450,000 to Victory Junction helping send 180 kids to camp free of charge;

• $250,000 to Speediatrics, motorsports-themed pediatric units at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. and Homestead Hospital in Homestead, Fla. that see more than 13,000 pediatric patients a year;

• The Home Depot helped raise $400,000 for the NASCAR Foundation last year with a portion of those funds being used to build four playgrounds in race communities across the country.

How To Get Involved

• Visit www.nascar.com/nascarday to donate $5 and receive your 2009 NASCAR Day collectible pin.

• Stop by the brand new NASCAR Foundation-branded Champion Tire & Wheel hauler at the track to donate $5 and get your pin.

• Become a NASCAR Day Crew Chief for your corporation, school or organization.

• Sign up for the NASCAR Foundation Volunteer Network.

• Help spread the word by telling a friend.

About The NASCAR Foundation

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc. (NASCAR) launched the NASCAR Foundation in January 2006. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity that embodies the compassion of the NASCAR family and its commitment to serving communities. The foundation supports a wide range of charitable initiatives that reflect the core values of the entire NASCAR family. The NASCAR Foundation will use strength of the sport and its people to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. For more information on the NASCAR Foundation, please visit www.nascar.com/foundation.