FORT WORTH – Temperatures in the Texas Motor Speedway infield Thursday night dipped into the chilly, low 40s. But the hearts and holiday spirits of the hundreds in attendance were warmed as Speedway Children’s Charities Texas Chapter distributed $203,000 to 30 non-profit organizations during its annual grant ceremony.
Speedway Children’s Charities Texas serves the critical needs of 36,500 youngsters in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. To that end, SCC Texas distributed 100 bicycles to children on hand, as well as to organizations that will distribute the bikes to children in North Texas. The bikes were provided and assembled by Fidelity Investments of Westlake.
“We’re once again very proud to have distributed 30 grants to local organizations that serve kids in need in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties,” said Marissa Chaney, Executive Director, Speedway Children’s Charities Texas. “All of those grants will serve the critical needs of providing food, clothing and shelter to children who have been victims of trafficking, homelessness, or children who are without families to call their own.
“This is our favorite time of year for a multitude of reasons. It’s hard to beat the holiday warm-and- fuzzies and just how good the season of giving feels. But it also celebrates the hard work that our volunteers and our board of trustees have put in throughout the entire year. They make our mission come to life. They pour everything into it to help us raise these funds and it’s so fun to see the fruits of that labor and be able to distribute that money back into the community.”
Immediately following the ceremony overseen by Santa Claus, guests were treated to an oooh-and-ahhh-inspiring fireworks display provided by Pyro Shows of Fort Worth. That was followed by a drive-in style showing of the holiday movie favorite ELF on the 22,692-sq. ft. Big Hoss TV screen located above the track’s back straight.
The Speedway Children’s Charities President’s Award was presented to Ken Forsythe, owner of The Rayleigh Underground in nearby Irving _ the location of last month’s Geared for Greatness networking breakfast and forum.
CBS Texas President & General Manager Raquel Amparo and Gina Miller, FC Dallas Vice President of Broadcasting, Media & Communications, were presented with Speedway Children’s Charities Volunteer Awards for their service as co-chairs of this year’s Geared for Greatness event.
Hot cocoa, Christmas cookies and popcorn were provided by Levy Restaurants while Marquee Event Rentals in Carrollton provided the staging and décor.
Since 1997, Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $12.4-million in funding to non-profit organizations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties supporting children in need. SCC Texas raises money throughout the year via a variety of fund-raising events ranging from its annual clay shoot and golf tournament to 50/50 raffles, charity track rides and much more.
The following organizations received grants during the 2024 Speedway Children’s Charities Texas Chapter ceremony:
_ $15,000 _ Neuro Assistance Foundation
_ $12,500 _ PediPlace, Kiwanis Youth Services, Inc.
_ $10,000 _ Cumberland Youth & Family Services, Unbound Now, Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas, Inc., Metrocrest Services, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, CASA of Denton County, Tarrant Area Food Bank, The Journey to Dream Foundation
_ $8,000 _ Network of Community Ministries
_ $7,500 _ Traffick911, God’s Company dba Food for the Soul
_ $7,000 _ Isaiah 117 House
_ $5,000 _ Family Compass, Hope Supply Co., Rainbow Days, Inc., Under 1 Roof, Union Gospel Mission, Christian Community Action, Arlington Life Center, Frisco Fastpacs, Lovepacs, 6 Stones Mission Network
_ $1,000 _ CASA Collin County
_ $500 _ Sower of Seeds International Ministries, Inc., Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas, The Parenting Center, Northwest ISD Education Foundation
Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $4-million in grants this year to hundreds of different charitable organizations across the country, bringing the total funds distributed since 1982 to more than $72.6-million. The money raised comes in large part from fund-raising efforts of the 11 Speedway Motorsports facilities and events.
For more information on Speedway Children’s Charities or upcoming charitable events at Texas Motor Speedway, please visit www.speedwaycharities.org.
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