On Friday, October 10th popular NASCAR driver Kelly Bires, of the JTG Daugherty Racing Team will be making tracks for Samaritan's Feet around the course of Charlotte's Lowe's Motor Speedway-driving the newly unveiled Samaritan's Feet and Speedway Children's Charities logo car in the Dollar General 300 Race, part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
"Everyone at JTG/Daugherty Racing is excited to assist with this Samaritan's Feet publicity and fund raising effort," said Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing Team. "Manny's story and mission is compelling and we want as many people as possible to know about it. There is no better platform to reach millions of people with a message than NASCAR."
Bires' NASCAR driver of the Samaritan's Feet and Speedway Children's Charities car at Lowe's is yet another high profile way the sports world has put ‘feet' on their support of providing shoes for needy children.
In January of this year IUPUI coach, Ron Hunter, coached barefoot on the basketball court in a game that pitted his team against Oakland, making national news with the more than $40,000 and over 150,000 pairs of shoes his involvement with the Samaritan's Feet cause brought. "My feet hurt so bad," Coach Hunter commented to national media after the game. "Imagine a child going their whole life without shoes."
Organizers of the October 10th NASCAR race in Charlotte, including Speedway Children's Charities, are hoping to once again raise national awareness, one day prior to Manny Ohonme's 300 mile barefoot walk. Notes driver Kelly Bires: "Our call to action on the drive in the Dollar General 300 is to encourage NASCAR fans and viewers, as well as the general public to log in online at Samaritan's Feet and make a donation-commit to walk with Manny, and support this great cause." The car will roll with Ohonme and his supporters as part of the October 11th-25th "World Walk" course from Charlotte to Atlanta.
About Speedway Children's Charities:
Making a difference in a child's life is the focus of Speedway Children's Charities and we strive to do this in collaboration with the non-profit organizations we support nationwide. Individually, SCC's local chapters identify the needs of children in their communities and award grants to organizations that address them. Together in 2007, we awarded more than $3.3 million to over 510 organizations. www.speedwaycharities.org
Interested Media: A joint press conference by Speedway Children's Charities/Samaritan's Feet will be held on Thursday, October 9th at 12:45pm at the Lowe's Motor Speedway Media Center Deadline Room/Victory Lane.
Samaritan's Feet founder, Manny Ohonme, SCC Executive Director General Tom Sadler, SCC National Director of New Business & Driver Marketing, Saundy Hutto, and JTG Racing Driver, Kelly Bires will be among those on hand to unveil the logo car. For attendance, contact: Todd Melloh, Director of Marketing, Samaritan's Feet: (317) 417-3525.
Resource Samaritan's Feet online for more details on how to participate and make a contribution: www.samaritansfeet.org
Resource Speedway Children's Charities online: www.speedwaycharities.org
Media Contacts-Samaritan's Feet:
Kirt Webster
Webster & Associates PR
(615) 777-6995
kirt@websterpr.com
Jackie Monaghan
Morningstar PR
(615) 646-5990
morningstarpr@comcast.net