NASCAR races benefit Youth For Tomorrow
By Tara Donaldson
All nonprofits have it tough these days but those with famous founders may have it a bit easier.Youth For Tomorrow in Bristow took advantage of its well-known patron last weekend by holding a NASCAR benefit race, complete with appearances by members of the Washington Redskins.
Getting famous drivers and football players to donate their time and energy on a Saturday evening isn't an easy sell but it helps when the request comes from Joe Gibbs, the Hall of Fame Washington Redskins coach and NASCAR racing team owner.
Gibbs is the founder of the Youth For Tomorrow project. The YFT facility is a group home in Bristow where at-risk teens live, go to school and get a second chance to aim for success.
Like all nonprofits, YFT has seen a decline in its donations since the economy took a tumble. Thinking outside the box, organization leaders started looking for new ways to make some money.
They came across the idea of a NASCAR benefit, called up Old Dominion Speedway Owner Steve Britt, and then started collecting sponsors.
From there, the idea just picked up steam and by the time Gibbs put his famous name on the event, it was already destined to be a big to-do, said YFT spokesperson Becky Whitelock.
The all-day event included races, music, games, monster trucks, racing simulators and autograph-signings by NASCAR drivers and Redskins.
Attendees paid $25 for the day or $10 for just the races and while the receipts haven't all been counted yet, Whitelock said YFT officials saw enough to know that everything went as planned.
“I think it was a resounding success,” she said.”
Whitelock said they know that 2,600 people attended the race. How many more paid for the whole day isn't known yet, but CEO Gary Jones said he was pleased with the turnout.
“While the receipts are not all in, we anticipate that it was a very successful fundraiser for Youth For Tomorrow,” he said in a written statement.
Whitelock said it will take a few more days for the money to be counted. She added that the best thing is that they don't have to take out expenses.
“There were no expenses for Youth For Tomorrow,” she said. “The expenses were covered by Old Dominion Speedway and by our sponsors.”
For more information about YFT or Old Dominion Speedway, visit www.olddominionspeedway.com or www.youthfortomorrow.org.