Charitable events combined to raise more than $140,000 for Sonoma County youth groups during the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at the raceway in Sonoma, June 22-24.
Most of the proceeds will benefit the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of the raceway, which has distributed more than $4.1 million to qualified youth groups in Sonoma County since 2001.
The Children’s Champions Grand Marshal’s Banquet generated $100,000, while the 10th annual eBay Motors Charity Auction, which was hosted in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle on NASCAR Sunday, raised more than $30,000. More than $14,000 was also generated through various donations throughout the weekend, including $5,000 garnered from Great Clips haircuts for charity and a $5,000 donation on behalf of the Transporter Drivers of Motorsports Association (TDMA), who participated in the 2nd annual NASCAR Hauler Parade in Sacramento on June 21.
The Grand Marshal’s Banquet was held on Friday, June 22, at beautiful Cline Cellars in Sonoma and featured Grand Marshal Tony La Russa, one of the greatest managers in the history of Major League Baseball. The sold-out sit-down dinner, which also featured NASCAR drivers Boris Said and David Ragan, racing analyst and former NASCAR crew chief Larry McReynolds, plus NASCAR legends Donnie Allison and Marvin Panch, attracted nearly 500 people. Proceeds from the banquet will be split between Speedway Children’s Charities and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley.
“We are so grateful to all the sponsors, fans and community members who participated in various ways over the weekend and helped us achieve this remarkable figure,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of the raceway. “It’s a challenging time for nonprofits and we’re pleased to be able to channel this combined generosity to help serve youth in our region.”
The top-selling item at the eBay Motors Charity Auction was a signed helmet by several NASCAR drivers, which netted $4,500. Other top selling items included a Jeff Gordon Ride of a Lifetime experience ($3,200) and a Kevin Harvick-signed Budweiser helmet and case ($1,700).
Sonoma Raceway PR
