Before the excitement race weekend began at Richmond Raceway, The NASCAR Foundation was in town on Thursday, April 19 to inspire children in the community to live a healthy lifestyle by staying active, eating well and in the process, have fun.
The second annual Speediatrics Fun Day Festival in Richmond was an initiative of The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Children’s Fund, which supports needs expressed by hospitals, specialty clinics, camps and other organizations providing medical and health care services in NASCAR racing communities.
Toyota Racing drivers Noah Gragson and Christopher Bell participated in the festival, as well as Richard Childress Racing driver Daniel Hemric. The up-and-coming drivers reflected on their own racing experiences and spoke to children in attendance about the importance of staying fit off the track to their success on the track.
They also showed their competitive nature and competed alongside The NASCAR Foundation mascots Chase and Victory Lane, as well as two members of the Toyota Camry Crew in NASCAR-themed field day activities.
The event also had a greater purpose – providing important healthcare services to children in need from the community.
Through a partnership with Capital Area Health Network (CAHN), children were able to take part in free health screenings, including vision and dental. Referrals were available to CAHN physicians for those children needing follow-up care.
“We love that our NASCAR drivers come out to events like our Speediatrics Fun Day Festival in support of the kids here in the Richmond community,” The NASCAR Foundation Executive Director Nichole Krieger said. “It means a lot to us that they share our passion for providing these important healthcare services to children in our NASCAR communities who need it most.”
Gragson, Bell and Hemric were all leading into an important race weekend in Richmond. Gragson made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in Friday night’s ToyotaCare 250. Bell is in his first season driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 in the series.
Hemric competed in the Xfinity Dash 4 Cash and also made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut on Saturday night
In addition to hosting the Speediatrics Fun Day Festival, The NASCAR Foundation is also providing a $20,000 grant to Capital Area Health Network to help provide medical services to children in need in the Richmond area through their mobile health program.
