The NASCAR Foundation announced today that actor/musician
Kevin Costner will serve as the 2009 NASCAR Day spokesperson.
Celebrated on May 15, NASCAR Day is an opportunity for fans,
corporations, schools and organizations across the country to
make donations to The NASCAR Foundation to raise funds for its
Family of Charities in an effort to help thousands of children
live better lives.
Costner will appear in print, radio and television
advertising to promote the industry’s charitable initiative.
Past celebrity supporters for NASCAR Day include Will Ferrell,
Kelly Clarkson, Garth Brooks and several NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series drivers.
Costner recently announced a year-long partnership with
NASCAR that includes an appearance in a NASCAR Day commercial
with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Petty that debuts at
the Daytona 500 (Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. ET on Fox); narration of the
CMT documentary The Ride of Their Lives (Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. ET);
the NASCAR film and music video debut of Backyard, the newest
single by Costner’s band Modern West on NASCAR.COM that also
serves as the theme song for the NASCAR Day campaign this year.
“We are thrilled to have Kevin be the spokesperson for our
NASCAR Day efforts,” said Betty Jane France, chairwoman of The
NASCAR Foundation. “Kevin has been welcomed into the NASCAR
family over the last year with the number of events he has
participated in and he will be a great ambassador for NASCAR Day
and The NASCAR Foundation.”
Over the past six years, more than five million dollars has
been raised to help those who need it most in a celebration as
unique as the sport itself. This year, NASCAR Day supporters can
visit
WWW.NASCAR.COM/NASCARDay to learn how they can get their own
copy of the song Backyard by Modern West.
“Having long been a NASCAR fan, it’s a great honor to serve
as this year’s NASCAR Day spokesperson,” said Kevin Costner.
“Through this event, NASCAR fans can make a difference in their
own backyard and just as the theme of this year’s event states –
help those in need to chase their own dreams.”
In 2008, The NASCAR Foundation donated nearly $1.3 million to
more than 50 organizations from funds raised during NASCAR Day.
Highlighting those donations were: $450,000 to Victory Junction
helping send 180 kids to camp free of charge; $250,000 to
Speediatrics, motorsports-themed pediatric units at Halifax
Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. and Homestead Hospital in
Homestead, Fla. that see more than 13,000 pediatric patients a
year, and through the campaign, The Home Depot helped raise
$400,000 for The NASCAR Foundation last year with a portion of
those funds being used to build four playgrounds in race
communities across the country.
How To Get Involved:
• Visit
WWW.NASCAR.COM/NASCARDay to donate $5 and receive your 2009
NASCAR Day collectible pin.
• Stop by the brand new NASCAR Foundation-branded Champion
Tire & Wheel hauler at the track to donate $5 and get your pin.
• Become a NASCAR Day Crew Chief for your corporation, school
or organization.
• Sign up for The NASCAR Foundation Volunteer Network.
• Help spread the word by telling a friend.
For more information on NASCAR Day 2009 visit
WWW.NASCAR.COM/NASCARDay.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
(NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America's
premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding
17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S.,
and is the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television.
NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in
more than 30 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in
all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies
participate in NASCAR than any other sport.
NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series,
as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions more than
1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada
and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in
New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover
(N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City, and Toronto.
About The NASCAR Foundation
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.,
(NASCAR) launched The NASCAR Foundation in January 2006. The
Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity that embodies the
compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving
communities. The Foundation supports a wide range of charitable
initiatives that reflect the core values of the entire NASCAR
Family. The NASCAR Foundation will use strength of the sport and
its people to make a difference in the lives of those who need
it most. For more information on The NASCAR Foundation, please
visit the website:
www.nascar.com/foundation.
Source: Tom
Sullivan/NASCAR PR
Posted:
February 5, 2009
