Raceway Distributes $501,497 to Sonoma County Youth Groups

Infineon Raceway Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities Distributes
$501,497 to County Youth Groups

 

SONOMA, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2006) -  The Infineon Raceway Chapter of
Speedway Children's Charities will distribute $501,497 to 55 qualified
youth organizations in Sonoma County for the 2006 season. 

 

This marks the second consecutive year the Infineon Raceway Chapter has
topped the $500,000 mark - it distributed a one-year record of $554,045
in 2005. Moreover, the chapter has distributed more than $2.1 million
since 2002 to Sonoma County youth groups. The chapter's Board of
Trustees recently approved the distribution of funds at its annual
meeting.

 

            Speedway Children's Charities is the primary charitable arm
of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns and operates Infineon Raceway.


 

           "The folks at the track are tireless fundraisers, and
countless non-profit organizations get to reap the benefits of their
efforts. It is such a blessing for the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance
to be one of the recipients they 'invest' in," said Kathy Witkowicki,
executive director of the Mentoring Alliance.  "We feel really fortunate
to partner with (raceway president) Steve Page and his incredible
staff." 

 

           The monies awarded in 2006 were generated through a
combination of Infineon Raceway events, as well as $100,000 raised from
the premiere of the Disney/Pixar animated film Cars at Lowe's Motor
Speedway in Charlotte. Other top fundraisers for the year were the
Raceway Builders Grand Marshall's Banquet and the Race & Rock Charity
Auction, which combined to raise more than $131,000. Both were held
during the raceway's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend in June. In all,
the chapter hosted nine events in 2006, primarily tied to the raceway's
motor racing events. The chapter also received a donation from Sonic
Automotive Corporation.

 

The chapter was also the beneficiary of funds generated from the Classic
Sports Racing Group's (CSRG) Charity Challenge and 3J's Motorcycle Track
Days at Infineon Raceway. CSRG donated more than $90,000 to the Sonoma
Chapter this year, while 3J's generated $25,000. 

              

Speedway Children's Charities is a non-profit organization with the
purpose of raising funds to be distributed to qualified children's
organizations. Founded in 1984 by Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway
Motorsports Inc., Speedway Children's Charities originated at Lowe's
Motor Speedway in North Carolina. 

 

Fifty-five youth groups will receive funding from Speedway Children's
Charities in 2006:

 

ANOVA Center for Education; Bob Burke's Kids; Boy Scouts of America
Redwood Empire Council; Boys & Girls Clubs of Petaluma; California
Parenting Institute; Canine Companions for Independence; Catholic
Charities Diocese of Santa Rosa; Climate Protection Campaign; Committee
on the Shelterless; Community Action Partnership; Court Appointed
Special Advocates; Giant Steps Therapeutic Equestrian Center;
Grandparents Parenting Again; Girls Scouts of Konocti Council; Humane
Society of Sonoma County; Kenwood Education Foundation; KRCB Public
Radio; La Luz Center; Matrix Parent Network; McDowell Drug Task Force;
Northern California Center for Well Being; Old Adobe School; Operation
Youth of Sonoma Valley; Petaluma Education Foundation; Petaluma People
Services Center; Redwood Empire Food Bank; Roseland University Prep;
Routes For Youth; Santa Rosa Symphony; Social Advocates for Youth;
Sonoma Children's Cancer Foundation; Sonoma Community Center; Sonoma
County Adult and Youth Development; Sonoma County Public Library
Foundation; Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation; Sonoma Ecology
Center; Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (5); Sonoma Valley High
School Boosters Club; Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance; Sonoma Valley
Soroptimist Foundation; The Living Room; The Salvation Army; Valley of
the Moon Boys & Girls Club; Valley of the Moon Children's Foundation;
Valley of the Moon Aquatics; Valley of the Moon Teen Center; Volunteer
Center of Sonoma County; Wells Fargo Center for the Arts; Willmar Center
for Bereaved Children; YWCA of Sonoma County.

  

"The grants that our schools have received from Speedway Children's
Charities over the past several years have made a huge impact for our
students," said Tim Boeve, executive director of the Sonoma Valley
Education Foundation.  "This source of revenue, stemming primarily from
the events at Infineon Raceway, has been a tremendous boon for
strengthening education in our Valley's public schools."

 

For more information on the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children's
Charities, email Denise Silver at dsilver@infineonraceway.com
 .

 

###

 

 

 

 

Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts  

May 18-20 

 

Wine Country Classic vintage car races  

June 2-3 

 

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series 

June 22-24 

 

Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic  

July 5-8 

 

FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals 

July 27-29 

 

CAL-STEAM/KOHLER 

Div. 7 NHRA drag races, presented by Korbel  

Aug. 3-5

 

Grand Prix of Sonoma 

Aug. 24-26 

 

 

 

---------------------------

John Cardinale

VP of Media/Community Relations

Infineon Raceway

Highways 37 &121, Sonoma, CA 95476

wk: 707-933-3907

cell: 707-334-9805