New foundation supports children who've lost parent

When 11-year-old Zachary Spruill lost his father, he figured hunting -- a hobby the two planned to share -- would become a distant memory. The big ideas of hunting wild game in their home state of Texas would never come to fruition and learning to perfect his shot might not ever come to pass.

Zachary's father, 46-year-old Bill Spruill, collapsed on a basketball court while playing with his son in May 2009. He died instantly and the sudden loss devastated the family.

However, Zachary's wish to take a memorable hunting trip, draped in camouflage and camaraderie, would come to fruition much sooner than he could ever have imagined. Seven months after Bill Spruill's death, Zachary's mother was contacted by a fellow outdoorsman, NASCAR's Wally Dallenbach.

Dallenbach hopes to take up to 10 kids hunting a year.

The former racer and current analyst for TNT formed the Wally Dallenbach Jr. Foundation in October 2009. The charitable group will select children who have lost a parent and take them on a hunting adventure they will remember for a lifetime. The Spruills were the foundation's first recipient.

A strong impression was certainly left with Zachary and his grandfather, Sam, who traveled with Dallenbach to Rancho Bellas Rocas in Carta Valley, Texas.

There, Zachary and his grandfather were picked up in a huge hunting rig called the "critter gitter." The rig drove them to their destination where Dallenbach helped Zachary with his rifle and some target practice.

An avid hunter, Dallenbach joked, "I don't want to put any pressure on you, but my daughter has killed a lot of stuff with this gun."

After a day of preparation and work on the ranch, Zachary shot a nice Blackbuck.

"Perfect shot," Dallenbach told him.

Dallenbach is already planning for his next expedition with the support of donors and sponsors through the Wally Dallenbach Jr. Foundation. The NASCAR community already supports more than 35 different charitable foundations, however, so checkbooks can only open so far.

"We have lots of people writing in and telling us their stories and that will continue," Dallenbach said. "We are a little short on funding, but that will change once we get going. We hope to be in good shape to do at least eight, nine, or 10 adventures a year. It just depends."

His inspiration for the foundation came from a seminar Dallenbach attended at Bass Pro Shops. While signing autographs, he came across a young man who recently lost his father.

"We got to talking. He and his dad just started getting into hunting together. Then mom stepped in and told me what happened," Dallenbach said. "That's where I got the idea driving home. I wondered if any foundation served this purpose. I didn't find anything so we got started."

Dallenbach hopes to provide young children with the same outdoor experiences he has with his family.

"The outdoors has changed my life," Dallenbach said. "It's given me respect for nature, brought me closer to my family and has been a positive influence that cannot be replaced."