[h=2]NASCAR: Bristol Motor Speedway, Food City donate to fire relief effort[/h] RACER Staff / Image by LAT
The NASCAR Foundation and Bristol Motor Speedway have joined efforts to help those affected by the recent fires in Sevier County, Tennessee, with a contribution to the Food City Charitable Foundation.
Supermarket chain Food City has spearheaded an effort through its Food City Charitable Foundation that has raised $750,000 to date. Bristol Motor Speedway contributed to the effort with a company-wide fundraising campaign.
Food City has designated $500,000 to the Gatlinburg Relief Fund, which will provide financial assistance to the immediate families of each individual who died due to the fires, and to those who are unemployed due to the fire destroying their place of business or employment.
The remaining $250,000 is directed to the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, which will provide $1,000 each month through May 2017 to each family who lost their primary residence in the November wildfires, according to a Food City press release. Through just four days, 884 families received support payments through the My People Fund.
"Our company has been privileged to operate in the Sevier County/Gatlinburg area for more than thirty years and we certainly want to do everything possible to help our friends and neighbors recover from this devastating disaster," Steven C. Smith, Food City president and CEO, said in a press release. "Over the past month, we've received a tremendous outpouring of support - literally from around the Nation. Words fail to be able to adequately express our sincere appreciation to our customers, associates, vendor, media and NASCAR partners for their extreme generosity and passionate response in making this donation possible."
Food City has sponsored the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway for 25 years, the second-longest race entitlement in NASCAR. The company also sponsors the NASCAR Xfinity Series' August race at Bristol.
The fires that hit Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and portions of Sevier County was responsible for 14 deaths, 180 injuries and more than 2,400 damaged or destroyed structures, according to USA Today. Officials said damage from the fire will exceed $500 million.