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Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 3M Team Joins 3M Car Clean Up Event at Fort Bragg
BY BEN WHITE
As a part of their continuous support of military personnel and their families, the 3M “Hire Our Heroes” program went on the road to Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. for the 3M Car Clean-Up Event. The No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing crew joined the thank you celebration to help wash cars and put on a pit stop demonstration for the troops and their families.
The event was held at Tisdale Equipment Maintenance Facility of the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) Motorpool. The recipients included members from Survivor Outreach Services, 18th Airborne Corps and the Warrior Transition Battalion. Many attended with their children to enjoy the festivities while their vehicles were detailed. The event was hosted by lead anchor and president of the Performance Racing Network, Doug Rice, who will broadcast the 2014 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The RFR competitors who service Greg Biffle’s No. 16 3M Ford Fusion showcased their talents while a team of volunteers offered free vehicle detailing for spouses of deployed and fallen soldiers at Ft. Bragg. The team performing the vehicle detailing consisted of employees from 3M, NAPA and local auto body repair shops and volunteers from Fayetteville Technical College. The services provided included interior and exterior cleaning; waxing; vinyl, trim and molding restoration; and headlight restoration, all of which used 3M Auto Care cleaning, waxing and restoration products.
The “thank you” celebration featured activities for kids and families and offered information to military service personnel about 3M’s scholarships and grants given to deserving military members and their families interested in a career in the collision industry.
The crew showed the troops how 12-second pit stops are performed and what it takes to deliver great teamwork on pit road. Many soldiers in uniform also tried their hand at removing lug nuts from each of the wheels – with a little coaching from the tire changers.
“It means a lot to us because they fight for our country every day,” said Brian Huitt, a tire changer for the team. “It feels good to come down here to Fort Bragg and take time out of our schedule to show them who we are. We appreciate what they do. I enjoy being around them and I enjoy seeing what they do here on the base.
“We did three live pit stops for them and a couple of them wanted to learn how to change tires. A couple of our changers sat them down and let them hit lug nuts and see that it is harder than it looks. They did exceptionally well. We work in the shop during the week and we came down today to support this cause with 3M.”
“3M puts a lot of money in NASCAR and they love supporting the troops any way they can. I think it means a lot to us and 3M to come down and show them how they do give back. Being involved in these types of events help the moral for everyone. You could see when we cranked the car and we started changing tires and some of the guys came out and watched what we were doing. They were really excited to see it. A lot of these guys probably haven’t been to a NASCAR race. They don’t get to see stuff like this.”
Justin Edgell, the team’s rear tire carrier, enjoyed showcasing the team’s talents to the special group in attendance.
“Whenever we get a chance to come out and be the attraction, it’s fun to do, especially when you’re around these guys in the military,” Edgell said. “You can tell they enjoy talking about racing and seeing a stock car up close. They enjoy listening to our stories and hearing about what we do. I can’t thank them enough for being here. Today is a real special day.
“These guys keep us safe and enable us to do what we do. We’d like to shake the hand of every person here. We really appreciate what they do. They allow me to enjoy my dream of working in stock car racing. We thank each and every one from the bottom of our hearts.”
Specialist Danielle Carlsen, a native of Fort Hood Texas, feels being a member of the military is much like working for a NASCAR Sprint Cup team.
“Being this close to a real race car they use in NASCAR is really exciting,” Carlsen said. “I really like the fact that the 3M team comes out and gives soldiers the opportunity to get hands on to see more of the technical aspects of what goes on, other than just the left turns the cars make.
“In our line of work, you have to meet all of the qualifications and there it a particular mold you have to fit. It’s the same with those guys as well.”
The 3M Hire Our Heroes program, which provides scholarships and grants to deserving military members and their families interested in a career in the collision industry, had a special tent to showcase the program. For more information, visit www.3MCollision.com/HireOurHeroes.
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $31 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
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