GIR to Host Track Walk to Benefit Midwest Flood Victims

MADISON, Ill. - Throughout the spring and summer, residents of the Midwest have fought record-breaking rains and flooding with Missouri and Illinois being particularly hard-hit. In an effort to help those affected by these calamities, Gateway International Raceway is hosting a track walk this Saturday prior to the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. A number of NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers are scheduled to participate, with those names being announced Saturday.

"We've all seen the footage on CNN and our local television affiliates and heard the heartbreaking stories of people losing their homes and possessions due to the weather we've had this past year," GIR Vice President and General Manager Lenny Batycki said. "We wanted to do something for our local community that would not only take some of the financial burdon off of them, but also give them an opportunity to do something fun with some of the biggest names in NASCAR."

GIR parking lots are scheduled to open at 12:30 p.m., with general spectator gates opening at 2 p.m. and the walk starting at 2:15 p.m. Walkers will register at the entrance to the infield tunnell. Participants must make a minimum $25 donation with children 12 and under allowed to walk for free. No coolers and no alcohol will be permitted on the track during the walk. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Red Cross.

The donations will help individuals and families with much-needed immediate emergency assistance, said Corrine Story, major gifts manager for the American Red Cross.

"Thanks to the genorisity of Gateway International Raceway, we will be able to continue offering a safe place for disaster victims to stay and warm meals for them to eat, as well as providing crisis counseling, essential medication, and disaster-related health care for those impacted."

Iowa native Landon Cassill, who made his NASCAR debut at GIR last year, has seen up close the damage the flooding has done in his home state. "I went back to Cedar Rapids where I grew up (recently) and was checking out the city. It's hard to put into words," said Cassill, one of the first drivers to volunteer for the walk. "It's really devastating. They evacuated ten thousand people in Cedar Rapids. To go there and look at the city I grew up in and see street signs and lights washed away...it's just unbelievable. To see all that and to hear the people's stories, it's just unbelievable."

Vitamin Water is providing drinks to event participants at various locations around the track. "We want to thank the folks at Vitamin Water for stepping up and helping out with this great cause," Batycki said. "They understand the importance of reaching out to the community and they have done so admirably with this generous gesture."

Tickets for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 are still available by calling 866-35-SPEED or by visiting GatewayRaceway.com.