The spirit of giving isn’t just a seasonal belief at Michigan International Speedway; it’s the racetrack’s way of life, providing a valuable fund-raising platform for the community.
In 2011 alone, Michigan International Speedway and its catering and concession partner Americrown donated or paid out more than $618,000 to local charities and service groups through cash donations and work programs.
The speedway and Americrown annually work with service groups, church groups, Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions clubs, masons, high school sporting clubs and a host of other non-profit organizations to provide a platform for those groups to earn money for their causes and programs during the racetrack’s events.
Imagine how long it would take a high school cheerleading team to generate more than a half-million dollars. That’s a lot of bake sales, car washes and lemonade stands.
“We provide many annual opportunities for local clubs to earn some money for their groups,” speedway President Roger Curtis said. “We couldn’t run our business without the help of these clubs; but they certainly couldn’t raise the money they need without us, either.”
Service groups annually and frequently assist MIS in a number of ways including tram drivers, car parkers, ticket stubbers, program sellers, T-shirt folders, gate staffers, hamburger flippers and soda jerkers.
Members of Acts 4:9 Church, a Jackson, Mich., church and Bible study group, drive trams at MIS on race weekends so they can earn money to fund projects in the community. They adopt deployed soldiers and their families for Christmas, buy Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys for local families in need and, most recently, enclosed a screened-in porch of a local food bank so the food bank could use the new space for much-needed storage with some of the funds they raised.
“By far, the most money we raise is at MIS,” Tim Lamphere, treasurer and project coordinator for Acts 4:9, said. “We would never be able to make as much money as we do to fund these important projects or make the impact that we do without the speedway. And we have fun while we’re there, too.”
The group has been working at MIS for about six years, though many of the members have worked at the racetrack for much longer.
Additionally, MIS Cares, the speedway’s charity arm, recently awarded $75,000 in cash donations to local charities through its annual grant program. Another $50,000 was awarded through sponsorships and tickets that groups raffle off, also to raise money for their clubs.
Service groups interested in assisting at MIS for future events may call Tim Booth, director of Guest Services, at 517-592-6666 to place your service group on a list.
Groups looking for grants or financial assistance should log onto www.MISpeedway.com and click the MIS Cares link at the top of the page.
