NASCAR Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary
Eyes wide open and hearts beating fast, more than 100 eager kids arrived at The NASCAR Foundation obstacle course inside Qualcomm Circuit last month at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado — the USS Carl Vinson anchored in the background and a U.S. Navy Hawkeye helicopter on display only a few yards away.
Dressed in bold-colored The NASCAR Foundation T-shirts, the students ranging from kindergarten to middle school-age from the base’s Navy Child Youth Program ran into the designated area as NASCAR race car engines screamed from the track in the distance. The NASCAR Foundation members and Ally representatives shook pom-poms high above their heads and shouted cheers to welcome the group to San Diego’s installment of the Speediatrics Fun Day Festival — one of 16 held across the United States this year.
A tire “roll,” a “gas can relay,” and a “find the lug nut” challenge were among the creative hands-on activities the kids tried out. Most notably among the setup was a series of long tables with bicycle helmets piled high — that station designed to fit each of the 121 students with a brand-new helmet.
Within the hour, the students would find out that each of them was not only receiving a personalized helmet but also receiving a new bicycle — courtesy of Ally. The bikes were custom-built only days earlier by dozens of supportive people in the NASCAR industry. Volunteers from groups like Stepp’s Towing drivers to race team mechanics to Kaulig Racing team owner Matt Kaulig and team executive Chris Rice — the Kaulig team being a full-season sponsor of the Fun Day events across the country are the first to raise their hands to turn wrenches as master bike builders for the Foundation.
“The NASCAR Foundation does incredible work keeping youth active and engaged in our race communities,” said Bridget Sponsky, executive director of brand, sponsorship and creative marketing at Ally. “A new bike and a day at the track might seem like small things, but they can easily spark a lifelong love for the sport. Supporting the foundation’s initiatives over the years is one meaningful way we ‘do it right’ and leave the communities where we race a little better than we found them.”
Before the dramatic two-wheel reveal, NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman made an appearance. The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver posed for photos and signed autographs and shared the Foundation’s message with the kids about the importance of healthy eating and staying fit.
Then, Nichole Krieger, The NASCAR Foundation’s vice president and executive director, took the microphone and announced that not only was the organization donating $15,000 to the Navy Child Youth Program, but every one of the youngsters would also be receiving a new bicycle.
“I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it,” 11-year-old Jack Hamby shouted over and over again.
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