NASCAR Nationwide Drivers Race To Defeat Child Hunger In The Great Clips 300 To Benefit Feed The Children

ATLANTA, Aug. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As area children head back to school, Feed the Children – a leading anti-hunger organization – will partner with Great Clips to sponsor the NASCAR Nationwide Series Great Clips 300 to Benefit Feed the Children on August 30. Throughout Labor Day weekend, fans at the Atlanta Motor Speedway will join Great Clips and the non-profit to fill 3,000 backpacks with food, educational supplies and necessities for homeless students.

On August 29 at 2 p.m., NASCAR drivers will open the booth and put their special touch on the first backpacks. Drivers James Buescher, Jeremy Clements, Jamie Dick, Blake Koch, Dylan Kwasniewski, Eric McClure, Ryan Sieg and Brian Scott will visit the Fan Zone to build backpacks alongside fans and NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Bill Elliott and his wife, Cindy. The five-time world champion boxer Evander Holyfield will act as the Honorary Starter of the race. Additionally, singer and musician Bo Bice will sing the National Anthem. Bice was runner-up to Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol.

Feed the Children believes that nourishing both the bodies and minds of kids will help break the cycle of poverty in the United States, which affects roughly one in five children. In addition to supporting those in need, a booth in The Fan Zone will feature fun activities for kids and kids at heart:

• Great Clips stylists will offer colorful hair painting for festive fans looking to spruce up their look for the race.
• A photo booth will feature a step-and-repeat banner, fun hats and props. Print-outs are available with a donation.
• Guests may also sign up to receive two chance-of-a-lifetime opportunities:
  • On August 30, two recipients and two guests will receive passes to the Nationwide Race Winner's Circle and a photo with the winning driver and car.
  • One lucky person will receive two suite tickets to the Sprint Cup race on August 31.
• Race fans will receive a $5 Great Clips coupon with each $3 donation to Feed the Children.

The Fan Zone booth will be open on August 29 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and August 30 - 31 from noon to 7 p.m. EDT. Sprint Cup drivers David Ragan and Reed Sorenson will also visit the booth to build backpacks the afternoon of August 30.

"Together with Great Clips, NASCAR fans and drivers at the Nationwide Series, we will work to fill backpacks full of brand new school supplies for thousands of school-age children in the United States," said Kevin Hagan, CEO of Feed the Children. "Feed the Children and its partners want to help kids be kids, and success in the classroom begins by offering kids the educational resources they need in addition to access to healthy meals."

Feed the Children and Great Clips began partnering in early 2014, with salons in the southeast raising $55,000 in support of the non-profit's backpack program. The Great Clips 300 to Benefit Feed the Children will feature 195 thrilling laps around Atlanta Motor Speedway's legendary 1.54-mile racing surface under the lights. Intensity is expected to be at a fever pitch with some of NASCAR's brightest rising stars going door-to-door with NASCAR veterans.

"Great Clips is pleased to use our Great Clips 300 Nationwide race as an opportunity to benefit Feed the Children, an organization that helps shine a spotlight on hunger and poverty issues in the United States. We know that race fans are great people who care and we're eager to offer them a simple, yet meaningful, way to help," said Dave Randall, Senior Marketing Manager at Great Clips.

The Great Clips partnership comes on the heels of Feed the Children's recent commitment to unite with like-minded groups to defeat the status quo of hunger. Through this commitment, Feed the Children will challenge conventional anti-hunger initiatives, promote and share best practices with peers and launch new pilot programs to find the most effective solutions – all with the goal of ending childhood hunger and helping kids be kids.

More information on Feed the Children can be found by visiting www.feedthechildren.org, in addition to www.facebook.com/feedthechildren and @feedthechildren.

ABOUT FEED THE CHILDREN

Feed the Children is one of the world's leading anti-hunger organizations, dedicated to creating a world where no child goes to bed hungry. Since 1979, Feed the Children has grown into one of the largest U.S. based charities, accredited by GuideStar Exchange, the BBB Wise giving Alliance and a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. By banding together with partners, donors and communities to defeat hunger, Feed the Children distributed over $344 million in food, essentials, educational supplies, and medicine to over 10 million individuals in the United States and 18 other countries in fiscal year 2013. Visit http://www.feedthechildren.org/ for more information.

ABOUT GREAT CLIPS

Great Clips, Inc. was established in 1982 in Minneapolis. Today, Great Clips has more than 3,500 salons throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world's largest salon brand. Great Clips salons employ nearly 35,000 stylists who receive ongoing training to learn the Great Clips customer service system and advanced technical skills. Make Great Clips your choice for value-priced, high-quality hair care for men, women and children. No appointments needed, and salons are open nights and weekends. And, it's more convenient than ever with Great Clips' Online Check-In and Clip Notes®. To check-in online, visit www.greatclips.com or download the app for Android and iPhone. For more information about Great Clips, Inc. or to find a location near you, visit www.greatclips.com.

ABOUT GREAT CLIPS RACING

Great Clips has been active in the motorsports medium since 1998 and currently sponsors Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driven by Kasey Kahne. Great Clips is an associate sponsor of JR Motorsports' No. 9 entry, driven by rookie of the year contender Chase Elliot, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). Great Clips is primary sponsor for Kasey Kahne Racing's World of Outlaws team, including the 2013 World of Outlaws Champion No. 9 car, driven by Daryn Pitmann.  Great Clips also has a partnership with Shane Hmiel Racing in the POWRi Midget Series, sponsoring the entry driven by Darren Hagen.

SOURCE Feed the Children