2016 Comcast Community champions continue reaping charitable benefits

JR Motorsports finish fabricator Wade Jackson has spent nearly the last 30 years of his life in NASCAR. But since he started the Kid's Camp at Camp LUCK (Lucky Unlimited Cardiac Kids) for children with heart disease, he feels more like a mini celebrity as he walks through the garage. Being crowned the 2016 Comcast Community Champion only amplified that. "It's been incredible," Jackson said Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "I've had people I've never met … people walk up and say what a great thing we're doing and a lot of people have offered to help and want to know what they can do." Jackson was selected for the Comcast Community Champion Award on Nov. 21, 2016 at the Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series banquet. Jackson's wife Kim and his son Jacob, who had been diagnosed with congenital heart disease and had trouble finding a summer camp growing up that he could attend with his condition, teamed up with Jay "Bird" Thompson and René Herlong in 2010 to start the first family camp. That same year, Jacob passed away at the age of 17 from a congenital heart defect. [caption id="attachment_12103" align="alignleft" width="325"] Comcast Community Champion Award winner Wade Jackson with his family at the 2016 Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series banquet[/caption] With his son's passing, Jackson was determined to make his legacy live on through Camp LUCK; three years later, Camp LUCK opened its first Kid's Camp, which is what the $60,000 funds from Comcast will support. "The money from Comcast will enable us to fully fund our Kid's Camp for this year," Jackson said. "So, that just takes the pressure off and we do other funding through grants and stuff and we want to fulfill Jacob's legacy of having a camp for many years to come, so this has taken a lot of pressure off. "… I hope it's around for many years. I hope to make my son proud and I hope my wife and daughter are proud of me being the Comcast Community Champion Award recipient," he said, his voice slightly breaking with emotion. "And I just hope to make them all proud and I hope to make the heart kids proud and hope to have some place for them to go for a long time." [caption id="attachment_12107" align="alignright" width="300"] Ray Wright and Samantha Busch at Richmond International Raceway in April[/caption] Jackson's Kid's Camp at Camp LUCK wasn't the only charitable cause that received support from Comcast; the other two 2016 Comcast Community Champion Award finalists, Richard Childress Racing pit coach Ray Wright and Kyle Busch's wife and Kyle Busch Motorsports co-owner Samantha Busch, also received $30,000 apiece for their charities. Wright is the founder of Pit Stops for Hope, an organization that works to end child hunger in America. For Wright, his faith was the driving force behind the organization. "We have a bible study at Richard Childress Racing every Wednesday," Wright said. "I remember walking out of Bible Study one day (in 2013) and going, 'What are we doing?' We go in the same room, we talk about the same stuff - nothing really changes, we don’t really do anything - it's just all about us. Which is the complete opposite of what our faith tells us to do, right? We did some research and it turns out that North Carolina has the highest percentage of child hunger in the country. "So, what better way to show our faith and what better way to use the position we have in NASCAR to help kids with that problem?" The monetary support and exposure from his nomination for the Comcast Community Champion Award, as well as support from the NASCAR community, has made a big difference in Pit Stops for Hope, Wright says. "Now we have a lot more funds, we can really dig in deep, we can really focus on things, and what we have to do is raise awareness for poverty in America," Wright said. "A lot of people who live in America don't understand how bad poverty is in our country. And that's the first step is to raise awareness. "See, poverty is a cycle that we've got to break ... when these kids are young in elementary school and they're not eating, their brains can't develop ... We've got to start now and get the word out that poverty is growing in America and we've got to do something about it." Busch has also seen growth in Kyle and Samantha Busch Bundle of Joy Fund, a monetary award that supports couples struggling with infertility. Busch started the organization after struggling with infertility herself and undergoing IVF treatment. Now a mother to 2-year-old Brexton, the Busches wanted a way to give back to couples like themselves. "Over the past year, the Bundle of Joy foundation has just grown," Busch said. "We are in our second year - we've had 11 babies born, we've helped 22 families, many of which are pregnant and expecting, and we've hit the quarter-million dollar mark in donations. So, we're so proud of what it's done. "Not only the support of fans, but from Comcast and other organizations. They've really put our story out there and through that, people have learned what we’re doing because IVF and infertility is not something that many people are comfortable sharing. Our goal is not only to provide the financial support to families, but to talk about it and show women and other couples struggling that they’re not alone." The $30,000 award from Comcast allowed the Bundle of Joy Fund to pay for IVF treatments, which Busch said could run over $20,000 per family, for two families that were struggling with infertility. ''It's such an incredible morning when you wake up and know that you’re going to change somebody's life," Busch said. "So with that money, we surprised two couples; one at the actual Reach clinic and one off site. We completely ambushed them during their lunch. "... The (first) couple (is) amazing; they've been trying for six years now, they've had three failed IVF cycles and they had completely maxed out absolutely everything and they weren't going to be able to go forward. So with the money from Comcast, we were able to give them that chance. And another family - just as equally as heartbreaking of a story - she actually would have had her baby this week, but they had a miscarriage and IVF is their only possibility. “So with the Comcast donation, we were able to tell them that they could go through with IVF and try for their miracle baby again.” But for Busch, the key word in "Comcast Community Champion Award" might be community - that’s been one of the best parts, she said. "I think it’s amazing what Comcast is doing in the NASCAR community,” Busch said. “Not only drivers, but pit crews and everybody in NASCAR has so many wonderful charities that they donate to or foundations that they've started. … It's such a great sense of community, getting other people involved with each other’s works and really just all helping each other for the greater good."