(Photo Source: Twitter.com/tdjf)
Press Release | THE DALE JR. FOUNDATION
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Dec. 21, 2023) – Nearly 70 groups, organizations and charities benefitted from the $1.3 million The Dale Jr. Foundation raised in 2023, the charitable organization announced, with an additional 59 organizations receiving in-kind support. The donations will help fund the good works that these organizations do both regionally and nationally, spreading hope and empowering children toward a brighter future.
Among the many organizations receiving donations from TDJF include Blessings in Backpack, Camp LUCK, Children’s Hope Alliance, Classroom Central, Donors Choose, FeedNC, HealthReach Community Clinic, Hope of Mooresville, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Operation Warm, Pat’s Place Children’s Advocacy Center, Pharos Parenting, and Pinky Swear Foundation. All of these benevolent entities epitomize The Foundation’s five key areas of giving: Hope, Hunger, Wellness, Education and Empowerment.
“This has been a tremendous year of giving,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, vice president of The Dale Jr. Foundation. “Thanks to the generous donations and hard work of so many special people, The Foundation has been able to support a number of impactful and worthwhile causes.”
Headlining the fundraising efforts for the year was the 13th annual Driven To Give gala, featuring comedian Dusty Slay. Attended by 250 invitees, Driven To Give raised nearly $450,000 toward TDJF’s year-end numbers.
Some of the other fund-raising initiatives in 2023 included the annual Win Dale Jr.’s Ride raffle, a huge success which saw a Chevy Silverado pickup truck and TRACKER Bass Buggy boat awarded. The raffle added more than $163,000 to the total to be given.
The annual Ride-Along program, in which Earnhardt Jr. drove participants around North Wilkesboro Speedway and Martinsville Motor Speedway, raised $300,000 for the cause. This program also included a book reading by Earnhardt Jr. to students in the surrounding North Wilkesboro area.
Another annual program, this one benefitting the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, saw more than 60 NASCAR drivers wear Dale Jr.-inspired skeleton driving gloves in the fall race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. These gloves were auctioned off, raising more than $75,000 for pediatric cancer research at the world-renowned hospital in Ohio.
The Foundation’s year-end giving program included many charities that fit its mission statement, which is giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.
In addition to its monetary donations, TDJF gave in many other ways as well, especially during the holiday season. TDJF, with the help of JR Motorsports families, was able to benefit 40 Angel Tree children from Children’s Hope Alliance. The JR Elves program hosted 11 children and provided them with a visit from Santa Claus, pizza, crafts, and a shopping trip.
Notable community outreach initiatives undertaken by The Dale Jr. Foundation included Earnhardt Jr. reading to students at Allenbrook Elementary School, an All-Kids Bike Build at South Elementary School, and several volunteers working in Mimi’s Garden, named for Dale Jr. and sister Kelley’s mother, Brenda Jackson.