Well, race fans, it's just a few days before Christmas, and if you're like me, you still have a to-do list as long as a hot lap around Talladega and twice as wide.
If you are still in need of a last-minute gift for the NASCAR fan on your list, I wish to humbly offer the following suggestion:
Head on over to the NASCAR Foundation website at foundation.nascar.com.
The Foundation is an umbrella organization that coordinates donations for over 30 worthy charities with ties to the NASCAR community. In the true spirit of Christmas, why not choose a charity that most closely represents your gift recipient and make a donation in his or her name.
Here are just a few of the many ideas for holiday gift giving that can still be found on the NASCAR Foundation website:
The Kyle Busch Foundation's "Operation Wish List" is collecting items requested by the residential homes that his foundation supports. The needed items range from socks to storage sheds, basketballs to beanbag chairs, and much more.
There's a whole year's worth of photos of NASCAR drivers and their pets on Greg Biffle's 2008 calendar, featuring Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and many more. Proceeds go to the Greg Biffle Foundation which supports animal welfare agencies.
Martin Truex Jr. is helping children and families during the holiday season through an online Red Kettle campaign for the Salvation Army. Truex's Foundation will match up to $10,000 in donations that fans contribute to the Red Kettle. At press time, just 16% of that amount had been raised.
The Victory Junction Gang Camp is offering the first in what will be a yearly series of hand-painted glass Christmas tree ornaments. This would be a lovely tradition to start in 2007 and support the camp with a new ornament for your tree every year.
How about making a donation in the name of your gift recipient to the Bobby Scruggs "Never Give Up!" Memorial Foundation? Among other worthy causes, this foundation provides scholarships for students selecting motorsports careers. You could help train the next superstar crew chief, tire changer, or engineer.
If none of these strike your fancy, why not make a donation to the NASCAR Foundation and designate a specific recipient among the family of charities the foundation supports? A sampling of these includes:
The Dale Earnhardt Foundation - Continue Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s legacy through your support of his foundation, which benefits causes like child advocacy, education and wildlife preservation.
The Jeff Gordon Foundation - Improving the lives of children facing life-threatening and chronic diseases by supporting pediatric medical care and initiatives that address the emotional needs of these special children.
Racing 4 Literacy - An organization sponsored by Morgan-McClure Motorsports that challenges students to improve their reading and writing skills while learning about racing.
The Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports - Enriching the lives of women, children, and families through educational and wellness programs, and helping support organizations with likeminded missions.
And there are many more to choose from. If you decide to support the NASCAR Foundation this holiday season, you'll be honoring the true spirit of Christmas - and your gift doesn't have to be boring. Get creative! Print out a certificate explaining the donation you've made in the recipient's honor, and tuck it in the box of a mini diecast, roll it up inside a new driver's shirt, or make a gift basket with some NASCAR-themed trinkets. You get the idea.
I know if someone wanted to buy me a NASCAR-themed Christmas present, I'd be honored to have a donation made in my name to any of these worthy causes.
Chances are, your favorite racing fan will be, too.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
