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For 20 years, The NASCAR Foundation has been giving back to those who have supported the sport throughout the country.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the nonprofit is set to host a two-day celebration in New York City that is all about continuing that impact in our communities.
Matt Kaulig, owner of NASCAR’s Kaulig Racing, has been working with The NASCAR Foundation through his Kaulig Giving for years now, and he couldn’t contain his excitement when speaking to Fox Business about what’s in store for The NASCAR Foundation in the “Big Apple,” including an important, and fun, Honors Gala.
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“We live in Ohio. To get into the city, get dressed up, be at a gala, red carpet. To go in there with a bunch of media, and again, ultimately raising a couple million of dollars for these kids is pretty exciting,” Kaulig said with a huge smile on his face.
“It’s just a celebration of all the giving and still even trying to raise money. I’m sure this gala will raise – I think their goal is to raise over $2 million to give back to kids, the communities and everything else.”
The event is being held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Sept. 8, hosted by NASCAR’s France family along with leadership sponsors, including Kaulig Racing. The night will be filled with special guests, including current NASCAR drivers like Joey Logano, Ross Chastain and Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon, while Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth will give a special performance.
KAULIG RACING EXCITED TO WORK WITH NASCAR FOUNDATION AGAIN TO GIFT BIKES TO KIDS AHEAD OF DAYTONA 500
The NASCAR Foundation will also honor four finalists for the 16th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which recognizes inspiring NASCAR fans who volunteer for children’s causes across their regions. The winner, announced at the end of the gala, will receive a $100,000 donation from the non-profit to further their philanthropic efforts.
But it’s not just the gala Kaulig is excited about — it’s the following day’s exciting event known as The Speedy Bear Brigade, which is powered by Kaulig Giving.
The NASCAR Foundation and Kaulig Giving teamed up to deliver NASCAR-themed “Speedy Bears” to children at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. But it’s not just in New York City where this impact will be made: A record 157 hospitals across the country will see 6,000 Speedy Bears be delivered with messages filled with love and support for those children and their families battling illness, injury and more.
Kaulig is also matching all donations up to $25,000 for those who want to put more Speedy Bears into the hands of kids to provide a little extra comfort and support.
“For even NASCAR drivers to go into their room in their fire suits and getting a teddy bear, it just brightens their day and brightens their spirit. All of that makes a difference,” Kaulig explained. “I mean, I guarantee these kids have their Speedy Bears still in their rooms at home after they get out of the hospital. They remember that, and it’s such a cool thing.”
For Kaulig, most of the impact he’s making is in his home of Northeast Ohio. But when he got involved with The NASCAR Foundation after opening Kaulig Racing’s operations in 2016, it was a no-brainer.
“That’s why we’re so involved in the NASCAR Foundation. We love NASCAR,” he said. “We think it’s a great fit for us, our brand, but everything we do at Kaulig Giving is for kids and their direct families. Almost all of our giving is up here in Northeast Ohio. Everything we do is basically in Cleveland, but NASCAR Foundation is obviously nationwide.
“What The NASCAR Foundation does for the community, the racetracks and everywhere we race is really special and I’m really proud of them. …They do so much more for the community than people realize. It’s so cool to be involved.”
Other than The Speedy Bear Brigade, Kaulig Giving has been heavily involved in The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Fun Day Festivals, where the excitement of race weeks turns into real impact moments for underprivileged kids. The festivals reach 16 NASCAR communities at different racetracks, where the kids are surprised with bikes built right there by teams like Kaulig Racing, while receiving helmets and sneakers, too.
“We built 150 bikes, gave them to these kids, and they didn’t know they were getting them,” Kaulig said about the first Fun Day Festival in Daytona. “It’s a big surprise. Fitted them with bicycle helmets, gave them new sneakers, and it’s just a really cool thing The NASCAR Foundation does.”
While this will be a two-day celebration for The NASCAR Foundation, recognizing all the impact made across two decades, Kaulig emphasized how important it is for the continued growth of this nonprofit and to get as many involved as possible to continue the mission and impact it has had.
“Even in business, you’ve got to continue to grow. You can’t cut back. We as a race team continue to grow. So, even philanthropy-wise, with The NASCAR Foundation, it’s what we can do to help them grow,” he said. “So, it is fantastic to be a part of organizations that are growing.
“And you just want to be a positive role model. We want to show other teams in the garage that you should get involved. We do well; we make money; we get all the fame and acclaim and just the fun part of it. But we should give back to those communities that are supporting our sport, our industry, and ultimately, our teams.”
