- Funds were raised during the March 2023 NASCAR weekend at Circuit of The Americas.
- Dell Children’s Mental Health Family Fund was established in 2021 to meet the growing number of families whose children were facing mental health crises.
- Fans attending NASCAR at COTA this weekend can help raise funds for children in need in the Austin, Texas area through Speedway Children’s Charities by participating in tonight’s Live Auction and Fan Assistance Golf Cart Rides all weekend.
- Learn more about Speedway Children’s Charities at SpeedwayCharities.org/COTA.
AUSTIN, Texas (March 22, 2024) – Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the official charity of Speedway Motorsports, has granted $25,000 to Dell Children’s Mental Health Family Fund to help them continue meeting the growing number of families whose children are facing mental health crises including children who have been victims of trafficking, homelessness and abuse that are in need of care but are without resources.
“We are honored by the support of Speedway Children’s Charities,” said Dell Children’s Foundation Executive Director Susan Hewlitt. “As Dell Children’s Medical Center exists to care for all children in need, we are grateful to our partners like SCC who help make our mission possible. It is a special moment too for hometown organizations like NASCAR at Circuit of The Americas and Dell Children’s to have the opportunity to work together toward a shared goal.”
Dell Children’s Mental Health Family Fund was established in September 2021 at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas and has served 27 patients through June 2023 across three levels of care, which included the inpatient mental health unit, partial hospitalization program and intensive outpatient program.
The grant resulted from generous donations received during the third annual NASCAR weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in March 2023. Race fans who attended NASCAR at COTA took part in fundraising opportunities and events including driving their own vehicle around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn permanent road course behind an official NASCAR at COTA Toyota pace car, a networking breakfast and forum for women in sports and entertainment hosted by ESPN SportsCenter co-anchor Sage Steele, bidding on unique experiences and autographed memorabilia during a live auction and donations from fan assistance golf carts.
“Since expanding our support to the Austin community, we have seen how great the critical needs are for children in this area,” said Speedway Children’s Charities Texas Chapter Executive Director Marissa Chaney. “While our first grant in Austin was focused on immediate emergency care trafficking victims, we wanted our phase two impact to serve the long-term care for children who are in crisis.”
There are 11 SCC chapters around the country, and combined in 2023, SCC distributed more than $4.2 million in grants to hundreds of different charitable organizations across the country, bringing the total funds distributed since 1982 to more than $69 million, ensuring many children in need are given the tools to build a better, brighter and healthier future. The money raised comes in large part thanks to the fundraising efforts of 11 Speedway Motorsports facilities and events: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR at COTA, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.
Race fans attending NASCAR at COTA this weekend can take part in the following fundraising efforts to benefit children in need in the Austin, Texas community:
Live Auction | Friday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Don’t miss your chance to bid on unique experiences and autographed memorabilia at the Live Auction, hosted by Jose Castillo with a special appearance from NASCAR Cup Series driver Corey LaJoie during the THOR Family of Companies Camper Appreciation Party in Lot N! Auction items include:
- Meet-and-Greet with Multi-Platinum Country Music Superstar Riley Green
- NASCAR VIP Passes
- Cowboy Hat Autographed by Diamond-Certified Country Music Star Darius Rucker
- Drivers Meeting Passes
- Guitar Autographed by Country Artist Pat Green
- And more!
More information: SpeedwayCharities.org/Events/
Fan Assistance Golf Cart Rides | Friday, March 22 – Sunday, March 24
SCC will be accepting donations on all Fan Assistance Golf Carts during NASCAR at COTA. Fan Assistance Golf Carts will be running from 1-7 p.m. Friday, from 8 a.m. to one hour post-race Saturday and from 9 a.m. to one hour post-race Sunday.
More information: SpeedwayCharities.org/Events/#
Funds raised from these events will be distributed in the form of grants to local organizations that focus on children’s services in the greater Austin area. Donations can be made any time at SpeedwayCharities.org/Donate/#
Tickets:
Fans can purchase tickets and camping for the 2024 NASCAR at COTA weekend by visiting NASCARatCOTA.com. Three-day weekend packages start at $79 for adults and just $10 for kids 12 and under. Further details can be found on the NASCAR at COTA website.
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About Dell Children’s and Dell Children’s Foundation
Dell Children’s and Dell Children’s North are state-of-the-art facilities providing medical care to sick and injured children in the 46-county Central Texas region and beyond. Their mission is to provide world-class care to all children who go for treatment regardless of a family’s ability to pay with emphasis on equitable and accessible care for all. Dell Children’s Foundation works with the generous philanthropic community and their passion to invest in the future of children’s health in Central Texas through Dell Children’s Medical Center. Their mission is to raise philanthropic dollars in an ethical and strategic way to impact the most children with the best care.
About Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC)
The mission of Speedway Children’s Charities is to care for children with educational, financial, social and medical needs to help them lead productive lives. Founded by Bruton Smith in 1982, Speedway Children’s Charities is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations that meet the direct needs of children. Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $69 million in grants. The goal is to ensure that every child in need be given the tools to build a better, brighter and healthier future.
Source: Circuit of The Americas | Speedway Motorsports | Speedway Children’s Charities
