It
became a successful rebuilding season as Racing Against CancerTM (RAC)
restructured its fundraising activities with the launch of their new Track
Walk program. The 2011 season proved to be a real winner for their
benefactors.
The 2011 fundraising and racing season kicked off in January as Decourcy
Racing hosted the first annual Racing Against CancerTM 100 at Checkered Flag
Indoor Karting (CFIK) in Haverhill, MA. Family, friends, RAC supporters and
karting enthusiasts came out in large numbers to participate in a fun-filled
afternoon of karting events. Funds were raised via entry fees and other
donations. Decourcy Racing generated over $500 for their first annual event.
Plans are in place for a second annual RAC 100 that is scheduled to take
place on Saturday January 21, 2012 at CFIK. This event should prove to be
even bigger and better than the first.
After 16 successful years of raising funds to fight cancer, Racing Against
Cancer™ jump started its new fundraising initiative, the Racing Against
Cancer™ Track Walk program. The program took place at four tracks across the
northeast during the 2011 racing season. The inaugural track walk was held
at Stafford Motor Speedway on Sunday June 19 and was coined a Prelude to the
CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday Champions For Charities event. Three additional
track walks were held at Thundering Valley Raceway in St. Albans, ME; (July
9), STAR Speedway in Epping, NH (July 23), and Seekonk Speedway (Oct 1) as
part of the Kraze Korlacki Racing Against Cancer 100 event promoted by Gary
Sagar.
Track Walk funds were raised by participants accepting sponsors/pledges that
were credited to both themselves and their teams. Awards were presented to
the adult, youth and team with the most funds raised and for the most laps
completed. “Racing Against Cancer was thrilled to have our first Track Walk
season be such a success and to be able to build upon the program for 2012”
stated Scott Gregory, co-founder and president of RAC.
RAC will return to Stafford Motor Speedway in 2012 for another Track Walk
when the Champions for Charities event shifts to its new date of Saturday,
June 30. The Track Walk will be held in the morning, prior to racing
activities. Additionally, a 2012 follow-up event is set for STAR Speedway,
as the second annual Track Walk will be held on September 1st.
In addition to Track Walks, many other fund raising activities took place
throughout the year. During the off-season, RAC made appearances at the
Frank Maratta Auto Show and the Racer’s Expo. On July 30th, RAC was one of
the primary benefactors of the fourth annual Jamie S. Rivera Car Show in
Agawam, MA which raised $1,200 for the cause. On August 14th,Charlie Macko
Racing held a raffle to benefit RAC at Twinstate Speedway in Claremont, NH.
That event raised in excess of $1,400 for RAC.
Leading the list of the twelve Racing Against CancerTM benefactors in 2011
was the Ronald McDonald House of Providence which received a check for
$15,000 from the proceeds of the Seekonk Speedway Track Walk held on
Saturday October 1, 2011 in Seekonk, MA. Various Seekonk Speedway
fundraising events were held leading up to the Track Walk including the
Dunk-the-Driver contest, on-site donations and corporations that sponsored
t-shirts and other items. ISMA once again graciously donated $2,500 from
their RAC 100 event purse on October 2, 2011. Thanks to the hard effort of
some of Seekonk Speedway’s biggest supporters, the fourth and final Track
Walk of the 2011 season was by far the most successful.
Other distinguished Racing Against CancerTM benefactors for 2011 included
the American Cancer Society, David’s House, The Susan G. Komen Foundation
and Victory Junction Camps all of which received $1,000 or more. Other
benefactors included Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Tomorrow Fund, Cam Neely
Foundation, Chain Fund, Hole in the Wall Camp and St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital. A new benefactor of the 2011 season was Checkered Dreams
of Charlotte, North Carolina. Checkered Dreams provides youth with life
threatening conditions a chance to enjoy a night at a local short track,
meet their favorite drivers and even get a chance to take some laps in the
pace car. A special highlight of the day is when each youth is presented
with a specially painted authentic racing helmet as a souvenir as well as a
visit to the pit area to obtain autographs from the drivers. A total of over
$23,000 was distributed to benefactors.
Mark your calendars for 2012, as Decourcy Racing will host the Racing
Against Cancer 100 at CFIK, on Saturday, January 21. Stafford Speedway will
play host to the first Track Walk of the 2012 season the morning before
CARQUEST Super Saturday Champions for Charities event on Saturday, June 30.
Star Speedway will host some Labor Day weekend fun in the company of Outlaw
and Modified racing action. A Track Walk will take place in the morning
before the evening of racing action, on Saturday, September 1, 2012.
Detailed event information will be posted on
www.RacingAgainstCancer.org.
Racing Against Cancer™ is a Federally Recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization dedicated to the raising of funds for cancer research, patient
services, youth tobacco educational programs, and awareness. For more
information and to donate please visit
www.RacingAgainstCancer.org. |