RELATED: How you can help
Amid the typical celebrations that are central to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion’s Week from Las Vegas, today offers celebration of a different sort. It’s called #GivingTuesday, a worldwide day of giving fueled by the strength of collaboration and the power of social media.
Although a relatively new initiative – it debuted in 2012 – #GivingTuesday has quickly built a budding tradition, annually held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and increasingly being viewed as the “kick-off” to what is considered the “charitable season” running parallel to the end-of-year holidays.
The NASCAR Foundation, NASCAR’s charitable arm, is getting involved with its “Operation Speedy Bear Brigade” is taking place across the country. Employees from NASCAR and various race tracks are delivering the foundation’s signature stuffed animal mascot to children in hospitals – or preparing “comfort kits” to deliver to children at a later date.
Today, newly crowned Monster Energy Series champion Martin Truex Jr. – along with this year’s four finalists for the foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide -delivered bears to young patients at Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas.
Our #SpeedyBearBrigade is at @SunriseHosp with @NASCAR Champion @MartinTruex_Jr visiting the kids!
Donate now: https://t.co/IlyuXcpi4B pic.twitter.com/BkCHzgbbdI
– TheNASCARFoundation (@NASCAR_FDN) November 28, 2017
The award winner will be announced on Thursday night during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas.
On Tuesday, however, everyone was a winner.
MORE: Donate a Speedy Bear today!
“Having our champion join our award finalists made an already special day even more special,” said The NASCAR Foundation Executive Director Nichole Krieger. “These types of visits were begun by our late founder, Betty Jane France, who wanted to ease the stress that children experience when they’re in the hospital.
“That was only part of her vision, however. She wanted to have The NASCAR Foundation truly involved in enhancing the delivery of medical care to children throughout the country. That led to the establishment of the Speediatrics Children’s Fund in the fall of 2016 that has given our organization a national footprint.”
That footprint translates to 55,000 children impacted thus far through the fund, in approximately 15 different markets.
NASCAR fans are encouraged to donate $25 to The NASCAR Foundation to send a bear to a child in the hospital. NASCAR is matching all donations on #GivingTuesday, up to $25,000. Click here to donate.