16-Year-Old Patient from Minnesota Designs Car, Will Be Guest of Team at Daytona
STATESVILLE, N.C. (June 28, 2016) – With a little help from a special friend, BK Racing, David Ragan and Shriners Hospitals for Children® unveiled their paint scheme today for this weekend’s Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. Hailey Randall, 16, is a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and assisted in the unveiling of the No. 23 BK Racing Toyota Camry that she designed as part of the Healing Power of Love design contest. The contest was open to patients at all 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children locations.
Randall, as well as representatives from BK Racing and Shriners Hospitals for Children, was on-hand at the NASCAR Hall of Fame with Ragan to unveil the car in front of family, media and others from Shriners International and the NASCAR community.
The paint scheme features metallic-silver paint that will reflect brightly under the lights at the Daytona International Speedway this Saturday night. Hailey’s design incorporates the Healing Power of Love theme with a red ribbon that wraps around the entire car, as well as an abundance of hearts which, reflects the love that patients feel at Shriners Hospitals. The Shriners Hospitals for Children logo, a “Good Luck!” message from the hospitals’ mascot, Fezzy, and motifs unique to the 22 hospital system are prominently featured in the design.
The car design expands upon the relationship that Ragan has with the hospital system, serving as an official Love to the rescue® ambassador. Ragan is also a member of Shriners International.
“David has been a loyal friend of Shriners Hospitals for many years. This design contest gave a unique opportunity for our patients to illustrate what Shriners Hospitals for Children and Love to the rescue mean to them,” said Jerry Gantt, chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. “We are so proud of our relationship with David and are excited to see Hailey’s design on the track in Daytona.”
With the help of supporters like Ragan and BK Racing, Shriners Hospitals for Children has provided life-changing care to more than 1.3 million children for nearly 95 years. Shriners Hospitals provides all aspects of treatment, including surgery, rehabilitation, and psychological support to children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the families’ ability to pay.
Randall has been a patient of Shriners Hospitals for Children since she was a small child, and has been treated for clubfoot, bilateral hip dysplasia and leg length discrepancy. Randall will join the BK Racing team this weekend in Daytona.
“I designed the car that I would want to drive so it is a dream come true to see it in real life and on the race track” said Hailey. “I am so happy that my design was selected to represent how Shriners Hospitals sends Love to the rescue every day to kids just like me.”
Ragan was excited to see Randall’s ideas come to life and is honored to have her design featured on his car during the race this weekend.
“I think Hailey and all the patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children are an inspiration,” said Ragan. “Hailey did an amazing job capturing the spirit and strength of the patients, employees and everyone associated with Shriners Hospitals in this paint scheme. I am grateful to be able to drive a car featuring Hailey’s design and represent Shriners Hospitals for Children this weekend.”
Saturday’s race will be televised nationally on NBC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
