Over 300,000 children in the United States live with juvenile arthritis (JA). Of those children, over 6,000 children live in Wisconsin. To celebrate their continued successes in living with the disease, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Todd Peck and the Arthritis Foundation teamed up for the foundation’s Jingle Bell Run on Sunday, November 3 in Milwaukee. The event had more than 5,000 participants and raised over $112,000 to fight arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability.
Peck, who was diagnosed with arthritis at a young age, has utilized his racing platform to show everyone that you can still live an active and fast-paced life with the condition. He has partnered with the Arthritis Foundation for several special events and fundraisers, including Sunday’s Jingle Bell Run hosted by the Upper Midwest Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Peck served as the grand marshal for the 5k run/walk event and was a keynote speaker at the foundation’s banquet following the race.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with the Arthritis Foundation,” Peck said. “The Jingle Bell Run is such a great event and I’m honored to be a part of it. To see everyone running and showing their support to fight arthritis, it means a lot. And to know that so many of the race’s participants are kids and that they aren’t letting the condition slow them down, that’s what it’s all about. I’m so excited to see how many people were a part of the event and how much money we raised to help others who are fighting the condition. It’s been a terrific week to say the least.”
Peck also offered the hood of his No. 40 Silverado and a patch on his firesuit to be used by the foundation for a special cause. Beginning in October, JA youth throughout Southeast Wisconsin were invited to enter designs for an exclusive truck decal to be featured on Peck’s truck for a to-be-determined race in the 2014 NASCAR season and a patch on his uniform. In the end, it was Madison’s design for Peck’s hood and Delaney’s design for Peck’s uniform that won the contest.
“I love seeing the creativity and imagination that kids have within them,” Peck said. “Their designs were all very unique and special. I’m thrilled to carry Delaney’s and Madison’s designs with me on race day next season. They did a terrific job and created extraordinary logos. Hopefully we’ll give them a good ride.”
Peck started his career driving go-karts and worked his way up to the national levels in karting, before advancing to the Allison Legacy Series. Peck has experience in the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series, more than 15 starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and several starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He has done all of this while overcoming the conditions of living with arthritis.
Todd Peck PR
- IROC Returns July 19-20 at Lime Rock Park - April 19, 2024
- RCR Race Preview: Talladega Superspeedway - April 19, 2024
- The perfect sweep: Julien Rehberg makes an incredible debut in the Rookie Trophy - April 19, 2024