During its annual Night of Joy celebration, the Charlotte chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities hosted area nonprofits and their supporters at Speedway Christmas presented by Atrium Health Tuesday night, to deliver holiday cheer and much-needed grant funding to organizations making a direct impact on the lives of area children in need. Following a record year of fundraising, SCC Charlotte officials announced that more than $1.4 million will be distributed to Charlotte area nonprofits this holiday season.
SCC volunteers and staff welcomed more than 400 children and charity representatives for an evening of cookies, hot chocolate and a tour through the 5 million twinkling lights that illuminate Speedway Christmas, the country’s largest drive-thru holiday light show. Santa Claus and Lug Nut joined the festivities, passing out candy canes and spreading Christmas cheer.
“This is always such a great event as we come together to celebrate another incredible year for Speedway Children’s Charities,” said Speedway Children’s Charities Chairman Marcus Smith. “We are blessed to contribute to so many amazing organizations and I appreciate all of the hard work they do to make a difference in these children’s lives.”
SCC raises money all year long through a variety of fundraising events, ranging from its annual black-tie Gala each spring to charity hot laps, a fall golf tournament and much more. This year marked SCC Charlotte’s first-ever Pit Road Pickleball tournament and saw a record 50/50 raffle at the World of Outlaws World Finals. All of those great events, organizers said, helped raise record amounts in 2024.
Among the 67 agencies that received grant funding was Present Age Ministries, an organization committed to combatting child abuse, exploitation and trafficking. The organization’s Founder and Executive Director, Hannah Arrowood, spoke to how the funding will help impact her organization.
“This money goes towards meeting needs that our community is desperate to meet. This money is changing lives,” said Arrowood. “Whether it’s human trafficking, critical needs, medical needs, educational needs, this funding directly helps reduce that vulnerability. It’s creating pathways for kids to have a chance to be successful.”
The Night of Joy distribution would not be possible, according to SCC North Carolina Director Taylor Kirby, without the help of many volunteers and dedicated corporate partners. As part of Tuesday’s celebration, devoted volunteer Mike Cathey was honored as the recipient of the David L. Johnston Volunteer of the Year award.
“It has been a great year for SCC and this is a tribute to our incredible group of trustees, volunteers and staff members who sacrifice their time and efforts to better our mission,” said Kirby. “Every event takes a village, and that is our volunteers who we could not survive without.”
Nationally, SCC serves 11 communities across the United States. This year alone, SCC will distribute more than $4 million to charities nationwide. Since its inception in 1982, SCC has awarded over $72 million to nonprofit organizations nationwide.
For more information on Speedway Children’s Charities or to learn how to volunteer or donate, visit www.speedwaycharities.org.
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