NASCAR Drivers team up with Champion Racer Darrell Gwynn for a fun day of fishing to support people with paralysis
HOMESTEAD, Fla. –– The Darrell Gwynn Foundation will host the Hot Shot “Hot Rods & Reels™” Charity Fishing Tournament with NASCAR Drivers at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, November 19 at 8:30 a.m. The event will pair NASCAR Drivers with foundation supporters and racing fans for a day of exciting fishing during Ford Championship Weekend in Homestead, Fla. The Darrell Gwynn Foundation’s mission is to provide SUPPORT for people with paralysis and PREVENT spinal cord injuries.
Approximately 20 fishing boats, professional fishing guide volunteers and a large-mouth/peacock bass-stocked lake inside the Homestead-Miami Speedway await participants who will fish with the likes of NASCAR personalities Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards, Darrell Waltrip, Clint Bowyer, Joey Coulter, Ryan Newman, Richard Childress, Martin Truex, Scott Wimmer and many more! All tournament proceeds will benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. Attendees will also enjoy a trackside breakfast courtesy of Rolltisserie by Southern Pride.
“The tournament is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fish with a NASCAR Driver,” says Darrell Gwynn, president of the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. “This is the perfect chance for companies looking to entertain clients or reward employees during Ford Championship Weekend. It’s always a lot of fun and we get great support from the NASCAR Drivers that attend and make it such a great event.”
The tournament will take place at the Homestead-Miami Speedway infield lake located near the drivers/owners lot. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. Those who are interested in participating in the fishing tournament or sponsoring the event should visit www.hotrodsandreels.com or call 954-792-7223 x.113 for more information.
At the event, the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, on behalf of its donors and supporters, will donate a custom power wheelchair to 13 year-old Tyron Cunningham of Miami Gardens, Fla. The wheelchair donation will be made through the foundation’s national Wheelchair Donation Program. Fans can “Give the Gift of Mobility” and support the foundation’s Wheelchair Donation Program by visiting www.darrellgwynnfoundation.org.
In addition to raising spinal cord injury awareness and purchasing custom power wheelchairs for children and young adults, a portion of the money is donated to the “Speediatrics” unit at Homestead Hospital. This special unit, which is brightly decked out in a racing theme, helps children and families feel more comfortable amid what can be stressful circumstances.
Gwynn, a champion racer whose career ended when he sustained a spinal cord injury in a racing accident in 1990, has dedicated his life to supporting people with paralysis and research for a cure and preventing spinal cord injuries through awareness and education. He and his wife Lisa founded the Darrell Gwynn Foundation in 2002.
The tournament is the culmination of Florida Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week, a Darrell Gwynn Foundation initiative. Events throughout the week of Nov. 14-20 help educate people about common causes of spinal cord injuries and how they can be prevented and donates custom power wheelchairs to several individuals facing medical and financial hardships.
Sponsors who made the event possible include: Hot Shot, United Industries, Bass Pro Shops-Outdoor World, Sprint, Hook & Tackle, Bass Online, Coca-Cola, Rolltisserie by Southern Pride and Plano.
About the Darrell Gwynn Foundation
Founded in 2002 by Champion Racer Darrell Gwynn and his wife, Lisa, the Darrell Gwynn Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to provide SUPPORT for people living with paralysis and PREVENT spinal cord injuries. The foundation’s primary support program is its national Wheelchair Donation Program. With this program the Darrell Gwynn Foundation has donated custom built wheelchairs to hundreds of individuals in need. The foundation also maintains a Patient Assistance Fund offering support services and tools at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado with aspirations to expand this model to several hospitals nationwide. The Patient Assistance Fund also supports the Betty Jane France Pediatric Center, at Halifax Hospital in Daytona, Fla. and Homestead Hospital in Homestead, Fla. Additionally, the Patient Assistance Fund provides financial support through its Fast Track Laboratory with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis aimed at finding a cure for paralysis. The foundation operates an Education & Prevention Program directed to high school students to educate them on the dangers of risky behavior that can lead to spinal cord injuries. This rapidly growing program reaches over 10,000 students annually at over 50 high schools. In an effort to create more awareness about spinal cord injuries, the Darrell Gwynn Foundation successfully lobbied for and established National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month with a resolution passed by the U.S. Senate in 2011 sponsored by both Florida Senators. With tremendous fundraising partners such as Barrett-Jackson, the NHRA, NASCAR, Rolltisserie by Southern Pride and many more generous sponsors, individual supporters and donors, the Darrell Gwynn Foundation continues to evolve as a leading foundation for those with spinal cord injuries. For more information please visit www.darrellgwynnfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/darrellgwynnfoundation.
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Ryan Rogers
Marketing & Communications Director
Darrell Gwynn Foundation
4850 SW 52nd Street
Davie, FL 33314
954-792-7223 X 114 (Office)
754-224-6139 (Mobile)
954-581-7223 (Fax)
www.darrellgwynnfoundation.org
