Want to have even more fun during this upcoming holiday season?
Try combining a car show, a two-day National Auto Sport Association (NASA) event at Road Atlanta, and Santa’s Toy Run. Oh, and for good measure, let’s add parade laps and ride-along hot laps in a Corvette track car.
That should be enough for a holly, jolly kickoff to your festive season.
Ron Rigdon, the Executive Director of Santa’s Toy Run, brings back his 16th annual toy drive for local underprivileged children. This heartwarming event is in conjunction with the high-energy two-day NASA Southeast Region driving event.
This action-packed weekend occurs on December 2nd and 3rd at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Raceway. With the event only weeks away, we took advantage of a quiet moment to talk with Ron about his long-running toy drive.
The Need Is Great
Rod Worley – Editor – Santa’s Toy Run has donated children’s gifts over the past 16 years. In your estimation, how great is the need?
Ron Rigdon – Executive Director – Santa’s Toy Run – To understand the urgency of our cause, you need to look at some startling statistics regarding homelessness, special needs, and foster children in the Atlanta Metro area and surrounding counties.
As far back as the 2018/2019 school year, over 6,000 children in Metro Atlanta were homeless, and that number is only increasing each year. The numbers for 2022 suggest that 3,500 children found shelter in group homes.
What makes these figures genuinely alarming is the fact that 42% of these children are under the age of 6. In the face of such tremendous needs, it’s also all too easy for special needs children to be overlooked.
Here is where your compassion and support come into play, particularly during the Christmas season of giving. Your involvement, regardless of its scale, is instrumental in the success of our upcoming toy drive.
Singular Purpose
Rod Worley – Editor – How would you sum up the mission of Santa’s Toy Run over these past 16 years?
Ron Rigdon – Executive Director – Santa’s Toy Run – Santa’s Toy Run was founded with a singular purpose – to lend support to organizations fervently dedicated to providing children with the essentials that empower them to lead productive lives.
It’s a mission rooted in compassion, one that has been further enriched through my personal commitment to donate toys to numerous foster care facilities and families facing adversity. However, the true realization of this dream lies in your support.
With your involvement, we have the potential to make an indelible impact, especially during the Christmas season.
Facilitators
Rod Worley – Editor – What sets Santa’s Toy Run apart from other toy drives during the holidays?
Ron Rigdon – Executive Director – Santa’s Toy Run – Santa’s Toy Run is not a non-profit organization; instead, we are facilitators, channeling donations directly to charities.
When individuals and companies contribute, their donations go directly to the chosen charity without any third-party deductions, ensuring that every cent reaches the intended recipients.
All checks, contributions, or donations are made directly to the charity of their choice. Furthermore, all contributions are 100% tax deductible, thanks to the 501(c)(3) non-profit status of the charities we support.
I invite you to be a part of our mission, to stand alongside us in shaping the lives of children in need.
Your support is a beacon of hope, a testament to your unwavering commitment to forging a brighter future for those who require it most.
Two Days Of Fun!
The 1st Annual Car Show at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 2nd. Admission for the event is a new unwrapped toy or gift card valued at a $20 minimum or more.
If you plan on attending the car show and participating in the track event, registration is $25, and a new unwrapped toy or gift card valued at $20 or more. This donation will cover you and a guest for both days of activities.
For the more adventurous among us, you can experience hot laps driven by a professional driver for a donation of $250. With this fun charitable event merely weeks away, be sure to save the dates of December 2nd and 3rd.
We’ll see you there at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta!
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