Feed The Children to Aid Regional Communities Through Kentucky Speedway NASCAR Nationwide Series Event Sponsorship

ARLINGTON, Texas, April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kentucky Speedway's inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend will evolve into an awareness platform for Feed The Children when the non-profit relief organization serves as title sponsor of the NASCAR Nationwide Series "Feed The Children 300" on Friday, July 8.

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Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., Feed The Children delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities worldwide to children and families who lack such essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disaster. From distribution centers in Elkhart, Ind., Houston, Texas, Nashville, Tenn., North Brunswick, N.J., Oklahoma City, and Ontario, Calif., Feed The Children is able to provide help and hope to all 50 states.

Feed The Children food boxes hold approximately 25 pounds of canned and shelf-stable foods. Essential care boxes contain soap, shampoo, deodorant, tissue, shaving cream and similar personal items. Recipients are identified through local community partner agencies.

"It's an honor to partner with the Kentucky Speedway and the Nationwide Series for this outstanding race. This association will help blaze a new trail of awareness among race fans everywhere to help feed hungry children and families across America," said Feed The Children Chief Operating Officer Travis Arnold. 

The organization will help better the lives of families in Kentucky Speedway's home Gallatin Co., and the surrounding region by delivering an estimated 200,000 pounds of food and supplies in events connected to the "Feed The Children 300." Feed The Children also will partner with Speedway Children's Charities to deliver food and essentials to those in need in areas surrounding Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. In all, Feed The Children's distributions in partnership with Speedway Children's Charities will reach 10,000 families with enough food and supplies to stretch around the Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile track four times. Learn more by visiting http://www.speedtofeed.org.  

"It's exciting that the 11th Nationwide Series event in our history will positively impact families in our region and play a role in advancing the Feed The Children mission. We look forward to introducing Feed The Children's important work to our fans and continuing our history of gaining exposure for cause-related sponsors through our events," Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said.  

Previous Kentucky Speedway cause-related campaigns were conducted by Blessings in a Backpack, which executed a backpack collection and food donation campaign in conjunction with celebrity Hilary Duff during the venue's 2009 Nationwide Series event weekend, and Amber Alert, which launched its Kentucky portal system in association with a 2005 IZOD IndyCar Series race entitlement.  

"It's great going back to Kentucky Speedway because the fans are always so pumped about us being there. It's awesome to have Feed The Children on board to sponsor the track's Nationwide Series race as their efforts will provide food to Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky families. I'm excited, too, that Speedway Children's Charities is involved and will be helping families near other racetracks we go to throughout the season. I've been involved with Speedway Children's Charities through my golf tournament and know firsthand the great work they do for kids and their families," Turner Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Reed Sorenson said.

The 43-driver "Feed The Children 300" field that will showcase current and future NASCAR stars, such as this season's 20-year-old surprise Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne, is scheduled to take the green flag at 8:00 p.m.

The event will be the second leg of a NASCAR tripleheader Kentucky Speedway weekend that opens Thursday, July 7 with a 225-mile Camping World Truck Series race and concludes Saturday, July 9 with the speedway's inaugural Sprint Cup Series "Quaker State 400" spectacular.  

Tickets, infield Fan Zone Passes and reserved campsites for the historic weekend can be reserved online at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by phone at 888-652-7223 or by visiting the Kentucky Speedway corporate offices at 1 Speedway Blvd., in Sparta, Ky., off of Interstate 71 Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 N.

MORE ABOUT FEED THE CHILDREN:

Feed The Children was founded in 1979 on a commitment to serve those in need around the world. Consistently ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support, Feed The Children delivered more than 111 million pounds of food and essentials in all 50 states and internationally the last fiscal year. Visit http://www.speedtofeed.org for more information.

MORE ABOUT SPEEDWAY CHILDREN'S CHARITIES:

Speedway Children's Charities remains true to the ideals it was founded upon in 1982: To care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. SCC provides funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children. Our vision is that every child has the same opportunities no matter what obstacle they are facing. For more information, visit www.speedwaycharities.org.

SOURCE Feed The Children