BACE Motorsports Partners with America’s Second Harvest to Fight Child Hunger In Support Of National Hunger Awareness Day

America's Second Harvest
Friday, 23 May 2003

BACE Motorsports announced today a joining of forces with America's Second Harvest, the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States, in recognition of National Hunger Awareness Day (NHAD) on June 5, 2003.

Can 9 Million Hungry Kids Inspire A Nation? -- NASCAR Winston Cup driver Tony Raines, BACE Motorsports President Bill Baumgardner and Robert Forney, President & Chief Executive Officer of America's Second Harvest proclaimed that answer as "YES!"

Raines, Baumgardner and Forney joined America's Second Harvest volunteers at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina this afternoon to unveil the graphic scheme that Raines' Winston Cup entry will sport at Dover International Speedway on June 1 in support of National Hunger Awareness Day.

"Nine million is an astounding number to me, especially when it relates to children in our country who are hungry and unsure of where their next meal will come from," said Raines. "Many Americans understand that hunger is a problem in our country but I don't how many of us realize how great the need really is. We are going to run the America's Second Harvest car at Dover in hopes of raising awareness of National Hunger Day and the hunger crisis facing our nation."

BACE has enlisted Tombstone Pizza in an effort to directly combat the hunger issue in conjunction with the Dover race event. In recognition of the 100th anniversary of parent company Kraft Foods, Tombstone Pizza will donate 100 pizza servings for every lap Raines completes in the 400-lap race. The first installment of the "Monster Meals" program will feed 40,000 children when Raines takes the checkered flag at Dover's Monster Mile, and provide a challenge to America's race fans to act locally to support one of the 216 Hunger Relief organizations in their hometown that is served by the America's Second Harvest network.

"If we were to take a pop quiz to the racing community at Lowe's Motor Speedway this weekend, with the question being - 'Name a country in which there are 23 Million food-insecure individuals… nine million of which are children'," BACE Owner Bill Baumgardner asked, "how many countries do you think those folks would list before they came to the United States of America."

"BACE Motorsports is honored to join America's Second Harvest in the fight against an epidemic that can be readily solved by communities across the United States. Giving is not a complicated solution, our goal is to assist America's Second Harvest in educating the racing community on the hunger crisis in the United States. I have no doubt that our community will continue to fight this battle as many of the sponsors and brands, like Kraft and Tombstone, have already done to this point."

Anne Register, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina's Executive Director, explained "Hunger is a growing threat among both working and unemployed families in the Metrolina area and across the nation. The economic downturn that began in the spring of 2001, compounded by budget cutbacks affecting human service programs in communities across the country, along with the threat of international crises have contributed to a significant increase in the number of Americans who can't afford to feed themselves, their children and their parents."

"Most of our emergency food assistance partner agencies are reporting record numbers of people asking for help," adds Jerry Jones, Executive Director of Community Food Rescue in Charlotte.

"We are truly grateful to Bill Baumgardner, Tony Raines, and the entire BACE Motorsports Team for their commitment in the fight against child hunger, especially now when the need is so great," said Forney. "Hunger is a growing problem for millions of both unemployed and working parents and their children -- and it will only get worse during the summer, when schools aren't providing breakfasts and lunch to at-risk children."

In 2002, National Hunger Awareness Day was brought to the forefront of the America's Second Harvest effort to raise awareness of the burden hunger puts on millions of American families. This year, in addition to the efforts by a multitude of corporate partners, more than 2000 food banks and food rescue organizations and their agencies will host public events. These events will spotlight the vast network of hunger-relief agencies that make up America's Second Harvest - more than 200 affiliated food banks and food rescue organizations, 50,000 agencies and more than 70,000 food service programs.

For more information, or to contact America's Second Harvest, see their website at: www.secondharvest.org