Heros of NASCAR
Heros in NASCAR?! YES HEROS!! Noah Webster defines a
HERO as one who is admired for his achievements and
noble qualities. There are many heros in this sport.
Maybe not in the traditional sense of the word; but
there are people to be admired for their achievements
and the noble qualities they possess. These qualities
make them modern day HEROS!
Take,for instance, the car owners who donate space on
their cars to organizations that saves
lives:National Bone Marrow Donor Registry
{1(800)MARROW2}, Racing 4 Kids and Leukemia
foundations,Ronald McDonald's Houses,and
Cancer Research Foundations. These
spaces are ususally occupied by stickers of paying
sponsors.There are the those who donate items
for auctioning by Habitat for
Humanities, raising hundreds of thousands of
dollars to build home for people who can't afford to
own homes without Habititat's help.
The Wive's Auxillary orchestrates
many, many fundraisers that raise monies for various
charities. These fundraisers include anything from
trap shoots to cruises with the "Stars" of NASCAR
racing. The wives are, many times, the backbone of
fundraising in NASCAR. They deserve a great deal more
recognition for their fantastic works than they
receive.
Sterling Marlin is a fine example of a hero in
this
sport with his yearly event to raise money for
charities in his hometown. Kyle Petty is
another
consummate fundraiser. Members of the NASCAR family
participate in Kyle Petty's Charity Ride Across
America,paying $5000 each to ride in this
fundraiser. Many of the participants can't,out of
pocket, afford this entry fee so they raise money
thru sponsors. The funds raised by this event go to
the Wive's Auxillary who then distribute it
to Make a Wish Foundation and other
charities.
Derrick Cope is one of many who save lives of
animals
that are slated for death because they are no longer
champions in their own particular race. Derrick, as
well as quite a few other drivers and pit crew
members, opens his home and heart to
these forgotten racers: these greyhounds and horses.
There are MILLIONS of dollars leaving the
pockets of the NASCAR FAMILY going to
foundations that research cures for cancer, leukemia
and childhood diseases; hospitals that treat children
whose families couldn't otherwise afford life saving
treatments, organizations who make the wishes of
terminally ill children come true, rehabilitation
centers for the injured and those that provide food
and houses for poverty stricken families.
A favorite charity of the Hendricks Team
is
1{800}MARROW2 which helps those in need of a
bone marrow transplant find a donor. They give
considerable time and money to this charity that is
worthy of everyone's attention.One of Dale
Jarret's
many charities of choice is MLO, the
church that travels from track to track with the
teams.The Brothers Labonte make the dream of a
cure
for cancer a little closer to reality with their
contributions to cancer research.The Ronald
McDonald House is another organization who
benefits from generosity of these caring, giving
people.This special organization provides a place to
stay near hospitals and treatments centers for
families with ill children that otherwise would not
be able to be near their loved ones during these very
trying time.These are just a few of te people
who donate time and monies to worthy causes. Hundreds
of hours are spent at fundraisers for hundreds of
charities.....
They give their precious time to Charity Events for
organizations that do Save LIVES. You will never hear
any of these people stand up and say "Look at me, aren't I fine for giving so
much?"! They quietly, with as little
fanfare as possible, help others with what they have
been blessed . It may be because their lives have
been touched by the need of the research done by any
of these organizations. A family member, friend, or
beloved employer may have needed the services of
1(800)MARROW2
. A niece, nephew, son or daughter may have
needed St Jude's Cancer Research Center
. A mother, father, brother, sister,
fellow racer or even themselves may have needed the
rehabilitation
provided by one of the Rehabilitation Clinics
.The reasons aren't important: they are
private and that privacy should be respected. That
they do help is what is important.
No,they are not doctors, policemen or
firefighters, what they are is ordinary people with
extrordinary talents and jobs that allow them to
help save lives in a special way. These people are
the Heros of NASCAR!
WHEN YOU LOOK
INTO THE EYES OF A CHILD YOU HAVE HELPED, YOU LOOK
INTO THE FACE OF GOD!
**** I realize there are many charities that are
blessed by contributions from the NASCAR family that
aren't mentioned here. There are also many people not
specifically singled out. I regret that I do not have
the space to mention each and every one of them. I
just want people to realize these aren't just 'race
people' to be judgemental of: they are people
that deserve all of our respect. Who we cheer for or
against is not an issue here. Thank you for
considering this the next time you disrespect one of
these fine people. ****
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