National KidsDay! - NASCAR Drivers and Their Kids

Sunday, August 4, 2013

There's a Mother's Day, there's a Father's Day and then there's National KidsDay!

National KidsDay was created in 1994 by KidsPeace*, a 131-year-old national children's charity, to encourage adults to spend more meaningful time with their children.

To celebrate National KidsDay; lets look at some meaningful time
between some NASCAR Kids and their father drivers:

Pink headphones cover the ears of Genevieve Johnson as she listens to the national
anthem with father Jimmie Johnson and mom Chandra Johnson during the AAA 400,
Sept. 30, 2012, at Dover International Speedway. (Jerry Lai, USA TODAY Sports)

Matt Kenseth celebrates with his wife, Katie, and daughters Kaylin, left,
and Grace, right, following his win in the Hollywood Casino 400, Oct. 21, 2012,
at Kansas Speedway. (Colin E. Braley, AP)

Jeff Burton walks with his daughter, Paige, left, and son, Harrison, after
winning the pole position for the 2006 Daytona 500, Feb. 12 at Daytona
International Speedway. (Sean Dougherty, USA TODAY Sports)

Jeff Gordon celebrates in victory lane with his wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, daughter,
Ella Sofia, and son, Leo Benjamin, after winning the Pennsylvania 400, Aug. 5, 2012
at Pocono Raceway.  (Lesley Ann Miller, AP)

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman holds his daughter Brooklyn Sage prior to qualifying
for the Ford EcoBoost 400, Nov. 16, 2012, at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images for NASCAR)

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards gets some quality time with his daughter, Anne,
and wife,Kate, prior to the 2010 Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)

Kevin Harvick holds his son, Keelan, as his wife DeLana tends to him prior to
the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200, Oct. 27, 2012, at
Martinsville Speedway. (John Harrelson, Getty Images for NASCAR)

Sam Hornish Jr. stands with his wife, Crystal, and daughter, Addison, prior to the start
of a 2012 Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway.
(Rusty Jarrett, Getty Images for NASCAR)

Jamie McMurray, his wife, Christy, and son, Carter Scott, stand on the grid
during pre-race ceremonies for the 5-Hour Energy 500, June 12, 2011, at
Pocono Raceway. (Jerry Markland, Getty Images for NASCAR)

NASCAR driver Greg Biffle gives his daughter, Emma, a ride on his
shoulders prior to the start of the AAA Texas 500, Nov. 4, 2012, at
Texas Motor Speedway. (Tyler Barrick, Getty Images for NASCAR)

Juan Pablo Montoya poses with his son, Sebastian, wife, Connie,
and daughter, Paulina, prior to a NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
(Rusty Jarrett, Getty Images for NASCAR)

Elliott Sadler and his son, Wyatt, do some father-son bonding prior to the
NASCAR Nationwide Series Ford EcoBoost 300, Nov. 17, atHomestead-Miami
Speedway. (Jerry Markland, Getty Images for NASCAR)

*KidsPeace is a private charity dedicated to serving the behavioral and mental health needs of children, families and communities. 

Founded in 1882, KidsPeace provides a unique psychiatric hospital; a comprehensive range of residential treatment programs; accredited educational services; and a variety of foster care and community-based treatment programs to help people in need overcome challenges and transform their lives. KidsPeace provides emotional and physical health care and educational services in an atmosphere of teamwork, compassion and creativity.

Teams On Track to Raise $250,000

Chip Ganassi Racing Teams On Track to Raise $250,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Inaugural St. Jude Culinary 500 scheduled for July 24

INDIANAPOLIS (July 22, 2013) – Six-year-old Michael Wanser, affectionately known as “Iron Man Mike,” lost his life to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in October 2011 but he continues to inspire hope in the fight against pediatric cancer.

His parents – Laurie Wanser and Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) Indy car Team Manager Barry Wanser – are driven to honor his legacy by hosting an inaugural tasting called the St. Jude Culinary 500 on Wednesday, July 24, at the team’s Indy car racing headquarters in Indianapolis.

Actor, humanitarian and public speaker Ashley Judd will host the event.

The event will feature cocktails, live and silent auctions, entertainment and gourmet food from some of Indianapolis’ finest restaurants for more than 200 business professionals, dignitaries and special guests, including the racing community.

Already, the benefit is on track to raise a quarter of a million dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® to support its daily operating costs of $1.8 million per day for continued research and treatment of cancer and other deadly diseases.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital relies on funding from everyday people like the racing community. Thanks to their generous support, no patient family ever receives a bill from St. Jude and doctors and researchers stay focused on what matters most – saving children’s lives regardless of their financial situation.

Michael was a welcome fixture on the racetracks and often described as energetic and hilarious. Many drivers visited him during his treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. When his AML relapsed after his bone marrow transplant in 2011, his parents turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for treatment but his cancer proved too aggressive for a second transplant.

"Like every race car driver out there, Michael wanted a true shot at winning his race...against cancer," said Michael's mother. "St. Jude put Michael back into the driver’s seat to finish his race with a lot of love, laughter, video games, wrestling moves and one-liners. Michael took the checkered flag knowing that his many friends at St. Jude will use his leukemia samples to help other children win their races against cancer."

The event will be attended by Chip Ganassi, CGRT drivers Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, along with a number of others from the racing community. There will also be both LIVE and Silent auctions to benefit St. Jude as well as a special presentation from CGRT.

Participating Restaurants

Late Harvest Kitchen Eddie Merlot’s Chef Ryan Nelson Chef Raymond Dial Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stjudeindiana.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Since opening more than 50 years ago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. Join that mission by visiting stjude.org or following us on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 15 championships and over 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn. For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com.

McMurray Makes Donation To Ronald McDonald House Charities

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) driver Jamie McMurray will donate $5,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Huron Valley “Hope Away from Home” campaign during his visit to families being helped by the local nonprofit.

Local McDonald’s owner/operators, Ronald McDonald and members of the RMHC of Huron Valley staff and families will be at the event to accept the generous donation, which will cover the cost of refurnishing one room in the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor. McMurray, who drives the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet SS in the NSCS, is committing a total of $50,000 to local RMHC Chapters in the U.S.

“We are very humbled and honored by Jamie’s generous donation,” said Kim Kelly, executive director of RMHC of Huron Valley. “The families who stay at our Houses have children who are ill and have to spend weeks and sometimes months away from their homes. We help take away the stress of making meals and finding a place to stay and allow them to focus on what’s most important -- the healing of their child.”

McMurray will be driving the McDonald’s Chevrolet SS in the NASCAR Quicken Loans 400 on Sunday, June 16, 2013, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. His “pit stop” to the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor is the first of multiple visits to Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide as a part of the “Join Team McMurray” initiative. The initiative encourages McMurray fans to start their own online fundraising pages to encourage their friends and social networks to donate to the mission of the nonprofit.

The Chapter’s “Hope Away From Home” campaign began in 2010 and marked a milestone in December of 2011 with the opening of the Ronald McDonald House within C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. The second phase of the campaign launched in February 2013, focusing on the renovation and refurbishment of the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor on Washington Heights. With the renovation, the House will provide each of 29 families served each night larger, private and more comfortable accommodations.

To learn how you can support the families of children going through a medical crisis through the “Hope Away from Home” campaign, visit rmh-annarbor.org or to the “Join Team McMurray” visit rmhc.org/teammcmurray .

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Huron Valley has served more than 18,000 families since opening the first Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor in 1985. Originally able to accommodate 24 families each night, an expansion in 1992 increased that number to 29. With the 2011 opening of the Ronald McDonald House within C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, the total number of rooms has increased to 41 for families between the two Ronald McDonald House locations in Ann Arbor. For more information, visit www.rmh-annarbor.org.