CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rappelling down a side of a building for charity? It was all in a day’s work for several NASCAR drivers and executives as the Charlotte-hosted “Over The Edge” event kicked off Tuesday afternoon.
The two-day spectacle, which continues Wednesday, is a rappelling challenge and fundraiser that sees participants go over the edge for a 10-story trip downward from the Embassy Suites Charlotte Uptown with the NASCAR Hall of Fame and NASCAR Plaza serving as the backdrop and kickoff location for the event.
International Speedway Corp. CEO Lesa France Kennedy and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace — both on the Board of Directors for The NASCAR Foundation — were the first to go. During the course of the afternoon, drivers Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Matt DiBenedetto and newly named NASCAR President Steve Phelps participated. This week’s “Glass Case of Emotion” podcast was also broadcast from the event with co-hosts Blaney, Kim Coon and Chuck Bush.
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“A good time for a good cause,” Bubba Wallace said after his rappelling adventure was over. “I had a great day. Thanks to the Hall of Fame for throwing the invite out there. I jumped on it right away and it ended up being an awesome time.”
“Over The Edge” benefits area education and healthcare services for children. This particular program is the result of a joint effort between the Friends of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Foundation and The NASCAR Foundation.
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The Charlotte event comes after the first NASCAR-related “Over the Edge” fundraiser that was held at the company’s corporate headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida, last November. That event raised $200,000 for the Daytona community and its success led to expanding the fundraiser to Charlotte, the hub of the company’s digital operations and where the bulk of competing teams are based. Daytona will host its second “Over The Edge” event Nov. 2-3.
“It makes me feel real good knowing that we already have raised $170,000 (at Charlotte) and it’s climbing,” Rusty Wallace said. “This is our second rappelling event and we got one more to do this year in Daytona in November. My gosh, we’ve raised a ton of money for children. This was a hugely successful event.”