- Funds were raised during the March 2022 NASCAR weekend at Circuit of The Americas.
- Safe House Project is a national leader in the fight against domestic child sex trafficking.
- Learn more about Speedway Children’s Charities at SpeedwayCharities.org/COTA.
AUSTIN, Texas (Jan. 6, 2023) – Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC), the official charity of Speedway Motorsports, has granted $15,000 to Safe House Project to train 24 Austin-area clinics in the fight against child sex trafficking in the United States.
“Our partnership and grant from Speedway Children’s Charities allows us to train healthcare workers in vulnerable communities across Austin to identify trafficked children, help them escape and get them the services they need to break the cycles of victimization,” said Safe House Project Chief Executive Officer Kristi Wells. “Reports show that hundreds of thousands of American children are trafficked in Texas and only one percent are ever identified. However, more than 90 percent of victims are seen by healthcare workers while being trafficked. This partnership is vital to combating trafficking and ensuring hope, freedom and a future for victims of child trafficking in Austin and across Texas.”
The grant resulted from generous donations received during the second annual NASCAR weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in March 2022. Race fans who attended NASCAR at COTA took park in fundraising opportunities and events including sales of limited edition track tokens on RaceDayNFT.com, thrilling rides-of-a-lifetime around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn road course in an official NASCAR at COTA Toyota pace car, bids on unique memorabilia and one-of-a-kind experiences during a Live Auction and donations from fan assistance golf carts.
“Safe House Project is doing such important work in the Austin community, and we are thrilled to be able to give this money to help in their fight to educate individuals and protect local children,” said Speedway Children’s Charities National Executive Director Lisa Starnes. “We are humbled by the generosity of race fans, and we are already hard-at-work planning fun opportunities for fans to help us raise more money through Speedway Children’s Charities at COTA this March.”
There are 11 SCC chapters around the country, and combined in 2022, SCC distributed more than $2.8 million in grants to nearly 300 different charitable organizations across the country, bringing the total funds distributed since 1982 to more than $64.3 million, ensuring many children in need are given the tools to build a better, brighter and healthier future. The money raised comes in large part thanks to the fundraising efforts of 11 Speedway Motorsports facilities and events: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR at COTA, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.
Race fans can take part in fundraising efforts during this year’s NASCAR at COTA weekend, March 24-26, featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Dates and details for event weekend fundraising opportunities will be announced at a later time, but donations can be made any time at SpeedwayCharities.org/Donate/#COTA.
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About Safe House Project
Safe House Project is a national leader in the fight against domestic child sex trafficking. As a registered 501(c)3, the organization focuses on increasing victim identification above one percent through survivor-informed training, supporting victims in their escape and increasing the number of restorative care opportunities for child trafficking victims. Since 2017, the organization has provided training to hundreds of thousands of individuals, leading to a marked increase in victim identification, provided escape and emergency services to hundreds of victims and increased restorative care opportunities by more than 150%. To learn more about Safe House Project, visit www.SafeHouseProject.org.
About Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC)
The mission of Speedway Children’s Charities is to care for children with educational, financial, social and medical needs to help them lead productive lives. Founded by Bruton Smith in 1982, Speedway Children’s Charities is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization providing funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations that meet the direct needs of children. Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $64.3 million in grants. The goal is to ensure that every child in need be given the tools to build a better, brighter and healthier future.
