The NASCAR Foundation Partners with Martinsville Speedway for Third-Annual Speediatrics Fun Day Festival

On Friday, April 9th, The NASCAR Foundation partnered with Martinsville Speedway to host its third-annual Speediatrics Fun Day Festival with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Blue Ridge, providing special programming for children at its Uptown and Center Club sites.

 

This NASCAR-themed Speediatrics Fun Day Festival is the culminating event after a 2-week program designed to inspire more than 100 children to lead a healthy lifestyle. In addition to learning about healthy living habits through the lens of NASCAR, children participated in NASCAR-themed field day activities such as a Goodyear Tire Race, Champ’s Looking for Lug Nuts, Chase’s Sponge Relay, Safety Sam’s Stop & Go Relay and Pit Stop Pete’s Puzzling Placement to encourage them to stay active while having fun.

 

“We love partnering with Martinsville Speedway in this community and we couldn’t think of a more impactful way to reach area children than supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Blue Ridge,” said Nichole Krieger, The NASCAR Foundation Executive Director. “Our Speediatrics Fun Day Festivals are really such a fun way for us to connect with children and help communicate the importance of their overall health and wellness.”

 

The festival is one of eight events to be held in race markets across the country as part of The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Children’s Fund, a program that supports needs expressed by hospitals, specialty clinics, camps, and others providing children’s medical and healthcare services.

 

“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.” - Helen Keller#NASCAR #Speediatrics #NationalVolunteerWeek pic.twitter.com/sw3DUe4lgq

— The NASCAR Foundation (@NASCAR_FDN) April 22, 2021

As part of the two-week programming provided, students attending Boys & Girls Clubs of the Blue Ridge participated in a video call on April 6 with Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jeb Burton. On Thursday, the Martinsville Speedway pace car was on display at the club locations and the children decorated a welcome banner that will be displayed at the speedway this weekend during the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 NASCAR Cup Series race.

 

“Thank you to The NASCAR Foundation for once again bringing its Speediatrics Fun Day Festival to the Martinsville area,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “It is so much fun working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Blue Ridge and spending time with the next generation of NASCAR fans.”

 

In the days following the event, the kids will participate in a step challenge using pedometer watches from The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Fit Kits made possible by a generous donation from the Harvest Youth Board. The NASCAR Foundation will also provide a financial grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Blue Ridge to further fund their efforts for kids.

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Boys & Girls Clubs of America Announced as Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR

NASCAR and Boys & Girls Clubs of America announced a multiyear partnership Sunday that will support the nonprofit’s mission of enabling and enriching the lives of young people. As the Official Youth Community Partner of NASCAR, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will work with NASCAR and industry stakeholders to engage more than 4.6 million youth and teens across the country with NASCAR content and experiences.

#NASCAR forms partnership with @BGCA_Clubs that will will focus on three core areas – STEM education, career development and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. https://t.co/uyywKp25Xa

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 25, 2021

The nationwide partnership will focus on three core areas — STEM education, career development and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives — and extend across all NASCAR platforms and race tracks. Programming will include both virtual and at-track experiences with an emphasis on local Boys & Girls Club locations within NASCAR race markets.

 

Partnership efforts will build on the continuing work of The NASCAR Foundation to advance children’s well-being, including ongoing relationships with several Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

 

“As a community leader, Boys & Girls Clubs of America continues to have immeasurable impact on the lives of our country’s youth, and NASCAR looks forward to engaging those efforts in meaningful ways,” said Steve Phelps, president of NASCAR. “Through this partnership and together with the NASCAR industry, we have boundless opportunities to advance the mission and objectives of Boys & Girls Clubs of America while at the same time introducing young future fans to our great sport.”

 

Said Boys & Girls Clubs of America president and CEO Jim Clark: “Kids and teens need safe places and caring mentors now more than ever, and local Boys & Girls Clubs around the country are doing whatever it takes to empower youth and build new opportunities so they can achieve every success in life. We are very excited to partner with NASCAR to elevate this support in communities even further, enabling more high-quality programing and experiences that will have a positive impact on kids and teens.”

 

As young people continue to emerge from the pandemic and navigate virtual learning, the first year of the partnership will focus on developing high-quality education programming that will live on MyFuture, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s digital learning platform.

 

Additionally, NASCAR’s work with Boys & Girls Clubs of America will focus on career development and mentoring across a breadth of industry disciplines and will include engagement with industry executives and other employees.

 

Throughout the partnership, NASCAR will collaborate with drivers, teams and tracks to amplify the sport’s commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and deepen the engagement with Club youth and teens. NASCAR partners will also have the opportunity to integrate with the new partnership, and several partners will look to build on their own longstanding relationships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

 

Eric Shanks, CEO and executive producer of FOX Sports, and Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, are both members of the non-profit’s Board of Governors. Shanks attended Boys & Girls Clubs as a youth and is now a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs Alumni Hall of Fame. Next month, Lazarus will serve as chair of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Annual Conference.

 

NBCUniversal, parent company of NASCAR Premier Partner Xfinity, has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs for nearly 20 years to drive digital equity. The company has opened WiFi-Connected Lift Zones at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, including an upcoming Martinsville, Virginia, location to celebrate the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash, to provide a safe space for students to access Internet for free to participate in distance learning and conduct schoolwork.

 

Coca-Cola is currently celebrating 75 years of partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and is also represented on the non-profit’s Board of Governors. The NASCAR Premier Partner is also a founding sponsor of the non-profit’s Workforce Readiness Strategy, supporting essential skill development, career exploration, employability skills and credentialing, and work-based learning opportunities for young people at Clubs. Coca-Cola, NASCAR and Boys & Girls Clubs of America look forward to partnering.

 

Toyota’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America is focused on closing the opportunity gap for the nation’s youth and inspiring future innovators, problem solvers and leaders who will make a positive impact on the community.

 

Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides high-quality programming that helps level the playing field and provide opportunities to young people that will help them build the skills they need to become the leaders, innovators and problem-solvers who shape the world.