January 17, 2010
By Kim Roberson
Kim Roberson
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One of the things I am most proud of about this sport of NASCAR is the way that the teams and fans can come together in a time of crisis to lend a hand where it is needed. We have seen it in so many different ways, from the aftermath of September 11th to the loss of a team member to an accident or illness. When something affects a member of the NASCAR family, it affects EVERYONE in the NASCAR family in some way, shape or form.
Even when there isn’t an obvious link, there seems to be a way for the family to reach out and lend a helping hand.
As many of us have begun the countdown to the Daytona 500, just under 900 miles away from NASCAR’s first superspeedway millions of people are facing life and death as the result of an earthquake that destroyed not only a city, but an entire country.
There might not be any obvious ties between NASCAR and Haiti, but this week, NASCAR proved the ties didn’t have to be obvious to lend a hand.
Hendrick Motorsports has donated a 45-passenger plane and two flight crews for the use of Missionary Flights International. The plane that normally carries crew members to and from tracks will be used at least once a day for the foreseeable future to take medical supplies and support teams to and from Port au Prince.
There is no deadline on when the plane has to be returned to HMS service. It is available to MFI until they no longer need it. The eight member flight crew, which is made up of HMS aviation director Dave Dudley, four captain-level pilots, one mechanic and one flight attendant, all volunteered for the duty.
Rick Hendrick has a second HMS plane on standby in case it is also needed, and he has worked out a special exemption with the Federal Aviation Administration to fly the planes to Haiti for as long as they are required. All costs are coming directly out of Mr. Hendrick’s own pocket. The first flight left Saturday morning carrying 30 people and a load of much-needed medical supplies. (You can visit the HMS web site at www.hendrickmotorsports.com to see how their sponsors, including the National Guard, Pepsi, and Lowes are also helping the earthquake victims).
Nationwide driver Mike Wallace also has made a plea for help for the people of Haiti. His oldest daughter, Lindsey, recently married Thomas Van Wingerden, whose family founded Operation Double Harvest in Haiti.
Mike told the story on Sirius Speedway Friday about how the family had been scheduled to be IN Haiti this week, but because Lindsey’s father in-law had recently passed away, the family decided against going. The hotel the family would have stayed in while in Haiti, the Hotel Montana, was one of those that collapsed during the earthquake on Tuesday. Many of those in the hotel did not survive.
A very close call for the family.
Operation Double Harvest has been a fixture in Haiti since 1981, when Thomas’ grandfather established “an agricultural project that would reap an increase in the harvest from the land as well as a spiritual harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God.” That project turned into a school, housing project, and medical/surgical center that have helped the residents in a suburb of Port au Prince for almost 30 years. Thankfully, it appears the medical center is still operational, and the staff is working hard to help in any way they can with the resources they have available.
Mike Wallace reached out to the NASCAR family on Friday asking for assistance in helping his daughter’s new family as they help those who are suffering in Haiti with donations to Operation Double Harvest. He asked that people go to www.doubleharvest.org or call 1-440-714-1694 to donate or offer any support they can to help the Van Wingerden family in their efforts.
I would like to reach out to you and ask that even if you don’t help out the Wallace or Hendrick families with their efforts, donate to the American Red Cross. You can donate online at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Or, if you can’t afford to donate money, how about an hour or two of your time? Contact your local Red Cross chapter and see if you can lend a hand over this Martin Luther King holiday weekend.
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