For the 10th year in a row, PPG served as the sole sponsor of the Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) New Hampshire chapter’s Track Walk fundraising event and generated nearly $25,000 to help fund the organization’s benevolent activities. SCC provides funding for hundreds of nonprofit organizations that meet the direct educational, medical, social and financial needs of children, and the Track Walk is a major source of support.
This year, the Track Walk took place on Saturday evening, July 21, at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Louden during a NASCAR racing weekend that included an XFINITY Series race Saturday afternoon and a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday.
More than 180 participants, led by NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney, walked the one-mile track on a clear, cool evening. SCC’s executive director Gen. Chuck Swannack and longtime SCC supporter and retired sports commentator Dick Berggren also joined in. Blaney took time to mingle with the walkers and boost the crowd’s enthusiasm for the event.
“I loved this entire experience,” said Blaney. “It was exciting to walk and talk with racing fans and to know that we were raising money for an exceptional cause. It’s got to make you feel good. What we were doing will eventually help make a big difference in a child’s life. How could you not get excited about this?”
The walk itself raised just under $9,000 for SCC. In addition, the SCC’s Red Bucket Brigade — a crew of 30 volunteers carrying red buckets decorated with the PPG logo — walked through the stands during Sunday’s race and collected $16,000 in additional contributions.
“PPG has been a key supporter of this event and our chapter in general,” said Hillarie Scott, director of the SCC New Hampshire chapter. “The company’s participation has been an important factor in the success of this annual event. In fact, we’ve raised more than $143,000 ever since PPG got involved. And we offer a very sincere thank you for that.”
“This is something PPG cares about,” said Mike Patenaude, PPG regional sales manager. “Working with SCC on the Track Walk is fun and rewarding. This is an organization that truly cares about kids in the community and does all it can to improve their lives. We’re happy to be a part of it.”
