The Race to Win Crosses Finish Line, Raising More Than $100,000 for Communities In Schools Dropout Prevention

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May 18, 2011, 08:58 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Race to Win tour, which kicked off from Driveway Austin Motorsports Academy in Austin, Texas on May 2nd, crossed the "finish line" today outside sponsor Plateau Systems' headquarters in Arlington, Va. Along the way, the Porsche 911GT3 RS, co-driven by Manoj Saxena, founder of The Race to Win, Avinash Saxena and professional driver Richard Zimmerman, made educational and fundraising stops in San Diego, Calif., Phoenix, Az., Atlanta, Ga. and Richmond, Va., raising more than $100,000 to benefit Communities In Schools and covering more than 7,000 miles from coast to coast.

The Race to Win cross-country motorsport event was launched by the Saxena Foundation (www.saxenafoundation.org) to raise money and awareness in support of Communities In Schools' (www.communitiesinschools.org) dropout prevention initiatives. The Race to Win fundraising goal of $100,000 was met and exceeded during the tour thanks to the generosity of patrons and donors across the country. More information is available at www.theracetowin.org.

"This may be the finish line for The Race To Win, but the race to keep kids in school and build tomorrow's leaders is ongoing," said Manoj Saxena, founder of The Race to Win and the Saxena Foundation. "I'd like to thank all of the great sponsors and patrons who supported this event, and Communities In Schools for the amazing work they do in communities across the country every day."

Every nine seconds, a young person drops out of school. One-third of high school students and nearly half of all students of color fail to graduate on time. Dropouts significantly diminish their chances of securing a good job, and, with it, a promising future. For more than 30 years, Communities In Schools has been helping students accomplish their goals through its model of integrated student services provided through a single point of contact – a school-based site coordinator. Communities In Schools is the only dropout prevention organization proven to both boost graduation and decrease dropout rates.

"Manoj Saxena and Paul Sparta exemplify the corporate leaders who are making a difference in the lives of young people across the country, ensuring that they have the resources they need to stay in school and achieve in life," said Bill Milliken, founder of Communities In Schools. "We're grateful for their support and the help extended by other community leaders, sponsors and volunteers, and incredibly excited to see the car that they've driven across the country!"

About The Race to Win

The Race to Win is a cross-country charity motorsport event to raise awareness and money for helping kids stay in school and achieve in life. Founded by tech entrepreneur and race car enthusiast Manoj Saxena, the event combines Saxena's passion for education and racing.

Consisting of both an endurance race and track races, the event involved a race-modified Porsche GT3 cup car being driven coast-to-coast and on some of America's best racetracks by Saxena and a co-driver. In the endurance portion, the car was driven from race track to race track while respecting speed limits and without the benefit of support crews. Race track events were timed trials and competition was for fastest time on the track, rather than wheel-to-wheel racing. The race made stops at four major cities where middle and high school students served by local Communities In Schools affiliates participated in various events such as poster sessions and talks on the science of racing, as well as a walkthrough and demonstration of the race car.

For more information on The Race to Win, please visit www.theracetowin.com.

About Communities In Schools

Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through a school-based coordinator, Communities In Schools connects students and their families to critical community resources, tailored to local needs. Working in more than 3,400 schools, in the most challenged communities, in 25 states and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools serves nearly 1.3 million young people and their families every year. It is the only organization proven to both increase graduation rates and decrease dropout rates.

Visit our website at www.communitiesinschools.org.

SOURCE Communities In Schools