NASCAR Day continues to grow thanks to the fans

Do you have your NASCAR Day pin yet?

If not, don't panic, you still have to time to make the $5 donation and celebrate what has truly become a highlight on the NASCAR calendar.

What started five years ago as a single day to raise money for the NASCAR Foundation has turned into an all-year event, highlighted the Friday before the all-star race with NASCAR Day, this year on May 16 celebrating "five years of caring."

Robby Gordon takes a donation.

"I think this is something we can all rally around and celebrate the sport that we love," said Sandy Marshall, executive director of The NASCAR Foundation, who is very pleased with the interest fans have already started to show this year. "We're surprised, although with all the fans NASCAR has we still think there's a few fans out there that haven't donated $5 for their pin yet so we think the growth potential is enormous.

"All the support from our fans and the way we can come together as a NASCAR family to really make a difference is awesome."

The fans make this event, and Marshall credits corporate sponsors like Home Depot, as well as the tracks the sport visits each year, for getting the message out to the fans all year long.

"I think it's grown obviously through corporate partners being involved and the track support has been incredible," Marshall said. "Every race weekend we have relationships with our tracks where we have booths out in the area so again, it's very easy for fans to get their pins. I think that's helped us a lot to grow. The support is just making it easier for the fans to engage in the program."

Last year, the NASCAR Day raised $1.64 million and the benefits can be seen around the country. Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle will join Home Depot and KaBOOM on Wednesday at Elon School for Kids in Charlotte, N.C., for the opening of a playground that was built with the funds earned on NASCAR Day.

Speediatrics and Victory Junction Gang Camp also receive donations from money raised, along with many other individual driver charities in the NASCAR Foundation.

And to get the driver's competitive juices flowing, series sponsor Sprint has issued a challenge. The driver, or driver charity, that receives the most money in donations will get an additional $24,000 from Sprint, in honor of the 24th All-Star Race on Saturday.

One driver hoping to add that extra cash to his charity is Ryan Newman, who along with his wife, Krissie, started the Ryan Newman Foundation in 2005 to help raise awareness about the Humane Society and animal welfare.

Ryan Newman was all smiles at last year's NASCAR Day event.

"The competition part of it is fun but the idea is to be thankful for the fans and their support; and NASCAR itself for being aware enough to have this Foundation and to have this day," Newman said. "It's huge; it's huge across the Untied States. I know because I can see the results so it's great to be a part of it."

In just two years, The Ryan Newman Foundation has already made a big difference, working with the Catawba (N.C.) County Humane Society to help build a spay-and-neuter clinic. With money raised on NASCAR Day this year, Newman has some big plans.

"The NASCAR Day and the telethon just give us the opportunity to raise more awareness and give people a channel to be able to help out and donate," Newman said. "The funds basically go into the big kitty. We're working with Iredell (N.C.) County to help the Humane Society build a shelter to give the animals a better place to live and one friendly for people and families to come in and adopt the animals."

The telethon is the highlight of NASCAR Day, where donations can be made with one simple phone call to 1-888-MAY-16TH. Last year, about 30 drivers were on hand to help take phone calls and Marshall expects that number to increase this year.

"We launched our telethon number early this year and fans are already calling making donations," Marshall said. "Typically they are specifying a favorite driver or a favorite driver charity so hopefully we will raise a lot more money this year and engage the drivers even more in the future."

Newman will be one of those answering phones on Friday and he is in awe of how generous the NASCAR community is, and he is grateful to be a part of it and witness it first-hand.

"It's really amazing when you look at the economy and people are really struggling in real estate, gas prices and everything else and they still want to give money for a great situation," he said. "That just tells you how many warm-hearted people there are out there."

For more information on NASCAR Day and how you can help, click here.