NASCAR Foundation celebrates anniversary with events across the country
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Day 1: Friday, May 17, Charlotte Motor Speedway
The NASCAR Foundation and the NASCAR industry celebrate the 10th Annual NASCAR Day today at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the final stop on the “Ten Days of Giving” tour. This special day is an unprecedented celebration of drivers, corporate partners, media and fans uniting with The NASCAR Foundation to support a range of charitable causes that are relevant and meaningful to those within the NASCAR family.
“We are proud of the NASCAR industry’s contributions to communities through NASCAR Day over the past 10 years,” said Betty Jane France, chairwoman of The NASCAR Foundation. “The industry has responded as we envisioned, when we began the foundation, helping us raise almost $12 million for various charities, with an emphasis on children’s causes. These funds have helped more than 100,000 children through numerous organizations including those participating with the tour.”
As part of the day’s festivities, The NASCAR Foundation is hostied a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway that included appearances by NASCAR drivers and industry representatives. Additionally, the foundation presented a check to Victory Junction for $3,385,454 symbolizing donations collected for the camp over the past 10 years of NASCAR Day.
Day 9: Thursday, May 16, Charlotte Mecklenburg schools
On day nine of the tour, students from Sedgefield Middle and Reid Park Academy were surprised by The NASCAR Foundation with 100 tickets to the NASCAR Camping World Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 17. NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Johanna Long and Parker Kligerman were in attendance to talk to the kids and answer questions about the sport. Students were identified through a partnership with Communities In Schools, a local non-profit aiming to increase graduation rates in students across the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system.
Day 8: Wednesday, May 15 with Betty Jane France Humanitarian finalists
On day eight, The NASCAR Foundation surprised all past Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Finalists with donations for their charities. The eight charities that were surprised include 2012 award finalists’ charities Autism Academy of South Carolina (Lorri Shealy Unumb), Camp Sunshine of Sebago Lakes (Ron Eby), Starlight Children’s Foundation (Michael Jackson), Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation (Ali McDonough) as well as 2011 award finalists’ charities Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (Robert Weaver), PBJ Connections, Inc. (Brenda Doner), Bridge of Books Foundation (Patty Aber) and Autism Speaks (Jake Bernstein.)
Day 7: Tuesday, May 14 in Brooklyn, Mich.
On day seven of the tour, The NASCAR Foundation presented the Boy Scout Troop 4322 of Brooklyn, Mich. with a camping stove to help the scouts in the troop earn the cooking merit badge. The cooking merit badge introduces principles of cooking that can be used both at home and in the outdoors. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about food safety, nutritional guidelines, meal planning and methods of food preparation, and will review the variety of culinary (or cooking) careers available. Boy Scout Troop 4322 gives back to the community in various ways: trail beautification on the Falling Waters Trail (Local Bike Path); construction of a nature path at a local elementary school; and assistance with a canned food drive to help local food banks. Since 2010, the troop has also partnered with The NASCAR Foundation to raise funds during race weekends at Michigan International Speedway.
Day 6: Monday, May 13 in New York
On day six of the tour, The NASCAR Foundation and employees from NASCAR’s New York City office surprised the children served by the New York Center for Children (NYCC) with a NASCAR-themed party including new art supplies and backpacks filled with NASCAR toys and goodies. In addition, Pocono Raceway gifted the children and their families with 100 “Kids Day” tickets that are good for admission to the racetrack on Saturday, June 8. NYCC is a child-friendly center providing free, comprehensive evaluation and therapy services to victims of child abuse and their families and also offers professional training programs on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of child abuse. The playroom gives the children a fun, safe place to play and interact when they come to the Center for therapy sessions. The partnership between The NASCAR Foundation and NYCC first began when NASCAR employees in the New York Office dedicated a renovated playroom at the Center in 2011 in memory of NASCAR New York employee Pam Royer who passed away from breast cancer in 2009.
Day 5: Sunday, May 12 in Kansas City, Kan.
On day five of the tour, The NASCAR Foundation, along with NASCAR driver and Kansas City native Jennifer Jo Cobb, surprised mothers staying at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (RMHCKC) with beautiful, fresh flowers in honor of Mother’s Day. RMHCKC reduces the burden of childhood illness on children and their families by creating a caring and uplifting environment and providing comfortable lodging convenient to a health facility. In 2010, The NASCAR Foundation, in association with Sprint, supported the RMHCKC through its seventh annual NASCAR Day celebration by donating a playground for the children at the facility in honor of Tom Murphy, former board member of The NASCAR Foundation and Sprint Vice President of Corporate Brand Marketing, who was tragically killed in 2009.
Day 4: Saturday, May 11 in Darlington, S.C.
On day four of the tour, The NASCAR Foundation and Darlington Raceway honored Stephanie Decker and her family with an all-inclusive VIP race experience. Decker, a mother of three, lost both her legs after a tornado ripped through Henryville, Ind. in 2012 and leveled the Decker’s home. Stephanie shielded her children from the house as debris fell on top of them, and as a result, the kids escaped the disaster unharmed. The Stephanie Decker Foundation’s mission is to assist children in need of prosthetics and to help others gain access to leading edge prosthetics. Decker was part of the traditional recognition of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers’ mothers during pre-race festivities. While on stage, The NASCAR Foundation presented The Stephanie Decker Foundation with a $5,000 donation. As part of the day, the Decker family also met various drivers including Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman and David Stremme.
Day 3: Friday, May 10 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
On day three of the tour — and as part of National Nurse’s Week — The NASCAR Foundation expressed their appreciation to the many individuals who provide care to the children in the Speediatrics Unit at Halifax Hospital. The NASCAR Foundation treated the nurses at the unit to a celebration that included delicious treats as well as neck and shoulder massages. Employees from NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation donated baked goods and their time to decorate the unit with a NASCAR Day theme.
Day 2: Thursday, May 9 in Winston-Salem, N.C.
On day two of the tour, The NASCAR Foundation and the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma partnered with Joshua’s Friends Foundation, Richard Childress Racing (RCR), Brenner Children’s Hospital and the Winston-Salem Police Department and surprised third grade elementary students from The Downtown School in Winston-Salem, N.C. and Joshua’s Friends Foundation kids with 100 bike helmets. RCR pit crew members Josh Sobecki, Cruz Gonsalez and Sam Abney also were in attendance and spoke about the importance of wearing helmets at their job as well as answered questions about the importance of head injury prevention and helmet safety.
Day 1: Wednesday, May 8 in Atlanta
On day one of the tour, The NASCAR Foundation visited the George Washington Carver Boys & Girls Club and surprised kids with a new flat-screen TV as well a gaming console and various NASCAR video games for the club’s activities room. The Foundation was joined by Coca-Cola Company, a longtime partner and supporter of The NASCAR Foundation and of the Boys & Girls Clubs. The Foundation also celebrated Coca-Cola’s 10th year of support totaling over $500,000 in donations to The NASCAR Foundation. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver John Wes Townley participated in the day’s activities and played video games with the kids on the new television. Atlanta Motor Speedway also joined the celebration and donated race tickets for the kids to attend the track’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Great Clips 300 race this fall.
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The NASCAR Foundation and many throughout the NASCAR industry will come together on Friday, May 17 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to celebrate the 10th Annual NASCAR Day.
“This exciting Ten Days of Giving tour reflects an overall expansion of the NASCAR Day initiative, which is perfectly aligned with our original ambition for The NASCAR Foundation,” said Betty Jane France, chairwoman of The NASCAR Foundation. “Through the years, the growth of NASCAR Day has paralleled the growth of the foundation. That has increasingly enabled us to do more to help communities throughout the U.S.”
This special day is a celebration of drivers, corporate partners, media and the sport’s millions of fans uniting with The NASCAR Foundation to support a range of charitable causes relevant and meaningful to those within the NASCAR family.
Camping World, the Official Outdoor and RV Retailer of NASCAR, has joined the cause this year and will make the limited edition pin, designed by NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist Sam Bass, available now until May 17 at Camping World SuperCenters nationwide for a $10 donation to The NASCAR Foundation. Go online to CampingWorld.com/stores to find a location near you. NASCAR fans and supporters can also pick up their collectible pins at track during select race weekends or online at NASCAR.com/foundation.
For the first time, The NASCAR Foundation launches a “Ten Days of Giving” tour that includes philanthropic activities in several markets across the country. At each stop on the tour, beginning May 8 in Atlanta, Ga., and culminating on NASCAR Day in Charlotte, N.C., the foundation will partner with various organizations to deliver surprise acts of kindness.
Wednesday, May 8: Atlanta, Ga.
Thursday, May 9: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Friday, May 10: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Saturday, May 11: Darlington, S.C.
Sunday, May 12: Kansas City, Kan.
Monday, May 13: New York, N.Y.
Tuesday, May 14: Brooklyn, Mich.
Wednesday, May 15: Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists cities
Thursday, May 16: Charlotte, N.C.
Friday, May 17: Concord N.C.
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