Fallen Firefighters Foundation Partnership with Dover Raises Over $125,000

National

DOVER, September 28, 2009: The numbers are astonishing: Over 2,500 supporters of the fire fighting community; $98,000 raised through the support of individuals, sponsors and merchandise sales this September; A total of $125,900.12 donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) over the course of two September races that the organization has held an annual event at Dover International Speedway.

The NFFF and Dover International Speedway created a package that offers the fire fighting community a ticket to the Sept. 27, 2009 “AAA 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, admission to a special pre-race, NFFF hospitality area, and a trackside tour of the Monster Mile. Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet volunteered to participate in a special question-and-answer session in the NFFF hospitality tent prior to the race. 500 supporters took advantage of the package in 2008. This time around the number ballooned to over 2,000.

"While we had high hopes, no one really knew for sure what to expect when this program first started last year," said Mark Rossi, vice president of sales & marketing for Dover Motorsports, Inc. "We thought it would be popular amongst the fire fighting community, and we wanted to do something to recognize their contribution to the sport. Having said all that, the amount of support shown by family, friends and sponsors of the NFFF has been overwhelming, and we're honored to entertain them here at the Monster Mile."

A portion of proceeds from the sale of a special second-edition firefighter Miles the Monster t-shirt is included in the total donated to the NFFF, along with contributions from sponsors PBI, Kidde, Motorola, Holmatro Rescue Equipment, Provident, True Hero, Rosenbauer, DPC, Spartan, Road Rescue and Wheeled Coach.

The NFFF program at Dover honors the nearly 100 firefighters who lose their lives each year in the line of duty. Every day, the over one-million firefighters around the country respond to calls to keep citizens safe. During race weekend at the Speedway, over 250 fire and EMS crews work to keep drivers, crews and all the fans in attendance out of harms way.

Plans are currently being made for the NFFF's return to Dover International Speedway for the Sept. 26, 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile in 2010: May 14-16 and Sept. 24-26. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.