Shriners Hospitals for Children continues partnership with David Ragan for 2018
STATESVILLE, N.C. (January 18, 2018) – Shriners Hospitals for Children® will once again sponsor David Ragan and Front Row Motorsports’ (FRM) No. 38 Ford Fusion in 2018.
Shriners Hospitals for Children will be the primary sponsor of Ragan during three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races: Dover International Speedway on May 6, Daytona International Speedway on July 7 and Bristol Motor Speedway on August 18.
For a third consecutive year, Shriners Hospitals for Children will support the on-track efforts of Ragan, who has a close relationship with the health care system. Ragan has been a member of Shriners International since 2012 and serves as its NASCAR ambassador.
Ragan visits Shriners Hospitals during the race season and invites patients to the track for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He also raises awareness and funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children through various campaigns, public service announcements, donations and activities.
Ragan will again visit several Shriners Hospitals locations throughout the year and will host patients at the track with Front Row Motorsports during the three primary races.
Patients and their families will be able to experience race day up close, including pace car rides, driver introductions, pit and garage tours and other VIP activities. Ragan brought national attention to Shriners Hospitals for Children when he was in the lead position late in the 2017 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Ultimately, he finished sixth.
“I think Shriners Hospitals for Children brings us a lot of luck,” said Ragan. “We have always had some great races with their support and being able to bring patients to the track is the most special part of the weekend, no matter the result.
“We try to put them (the sponsored races) in markets that there is a hospital nearby or there is a large presence of members of the Shriners fraternity nearby,” Ragan explained to NASCAR.com.
“The Dover race — they have a big hospital in Philadelphia. The Daytona race– there is a hospital in Tampa, but there is also the annual Imperial Session — an annual meeting with all the Shriners all around the world will be in Daytona the week after the Fourth of July. Bristol — they have a lot of patients and family for the Greenville, South Carolina, hospital. The tracks are close by to the hospital so we can invite some patients and their families out,” Regan concluded.
“Shriners Hospitals for Children does amazing things for patients across the country, as well as in Canada and Mexico,” continued Ragan. “During my visits, I’ve seen first-hand the care that Shriners Hospitals for Children provides to patients and families, and I’m proud to be a Shriner and bring awareness to the hospitals with Front Row Motorsports.”
Shriners Hospitals for Children provides specialized care to children with orthopaedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, burns and cleft lip and palate regardless of the families’ ability to pay.
“David has been a tremendous ambassador for both Shriners Hospitals for Children and Shriners International,” said Gary Bergenske, chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children.
“Our partnership with David and Front Row Motorsports has increased awareness for our health care system and the work we do for our patients. This is just another way we send Love to the rescue®. We are proud to support David and look forward to another successful NASCAR program this year,” Bergenske concluded.
About Shriners Hospitals for Children
Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our 22 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. Learn more at shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
