Abingdon, Va. (Nov. 30, 2016) – In the wake of the devastating fires sweeping Gatlinburg and Sevier County, Tenn., Food City and Bristol Motor Speedway have teamed up to host a number relief effort initiatives.
Beginning Thursday, Dec. 1 and continuing through Wednesday Dec. 7, Food City locations throughout Kentucky, Virginia and east Tennessee will participate in a fundraising campaign. Customers wishing to make a monetary donation will be invited to do so at the checkout, with the contribution conveniently added to their order total. 100% of the funds raised will benefit the Gatlinburg/Sevier County Relief Fund.
Food City has pledged a $50,000 contribution to kick-off the fundraising efforts. Earlier in the week, the company also donated a tractor-trailer load of bottled water and Gatorade to assist local crews battling the raging fires.
“Many of our friends and neighbors have been devastated by these tragic fires, including a number of our Food City associates,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “We have teamed up with our friends at Bristol Motor Speedway and a number of our media partners to provide some much-needed assistance with the relief efforts. We encourage our loyal customers and associates to join us in support of this critical mission.”
BMS will also be collecting donations for the Gatlinburg/Sevier County Relief Fund initiatives from The Pinnacle Speedway in Lights (SIL) via red buckets at the holiday display ticket booths beginning tomorrow. The program will run through the end of SIL on Saturday, Jan. 7. In addition, BMS will match proceeds raised at this Thursday’s The Pinnacle Speedway in Lights towards the relief efforts.
“While we can’t undo the damage from wildfires, we can all play a major role in relief efforts by donating money,” said Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager at Bristol Motor Speedway. “Gatlinburg and Sevier County hold a special place in the hearts of NASCAR fans, Food City and all of us at Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway. When you visit the Speedway this holiday season, we encourage you to bring along a little something extra to help our neighbors in need.”
The Speedway has also opened the Medallion campground to the RV community / campers displaced by the fires. The lot offers complimentary camping spaces with full water and electrical hook-up at no charge. Those interested should contact the BMS ticket office at 423-BRISTOL.
“We would certainly like to thank Bristol Motor Speedway for their partnership on this critical initiative, as well as our media partners – WVLT, WIVK, WCYB, WXBQ and WYMT,” said Smith.
Anyone interested in making a monetary donation via Bristol Motor Speedway can call or visit the main ticket office at the O. Bruton Smith Building during normal business hours. (Mon. -Thurs: 9 a.m.- 8 p.m., Fri: 9 a.m.- 7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.)
About Food City:
Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 135 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, Chattanooga and north Georgia.
About Bristol Motor Speedway:
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekends. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 70 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
