Tony Stewart's Other Side
Away From the Track, Tony Aids Children and Animals in Need
Tony Stewart isn’t your typical self-absorbed athlete. While his competitors are kicking back at home, Tony is busy shining light on children with terminal illnesses and animals in need of rescuing. To truly appreciate Tony Stewart you must understand that he is strong-minded, intense and highly competitive—but not by money.
Born with a heart of gold, Tony Stewart continues to prove why he is one of the most charitable drivers in NASCAR and one of the greatest givers among professional athletes. In fact, Tony was listed among the top-30 celebrity donors by the Giving Back Fund of 2006.
Acts of Generosity
Established in August of 2003, the Tony Stewart Foundation was created to raise funds for groups caring for chronically ill children as well as drivers injured in motorsports activities. In addition, the foundation assists charitable organizations in the protection of various animal species. Charities actively supported by the Foundation include the Ronald McDonald House, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Indiana Special Olympics, Greyrescue (Greyhound Rescue Organization), the Charlotte (N.C.) Metropolitan Zoo, and Victory Junction Gang Camp. Since the launch of the Tony Stewart Foundation, the organization has donated an estimated $6.25 million to charities of Stewart’s choice.
The Indiana native also builds playgrounds for his sponsor Home Depot, has auctioned off his own items for charity — driver suits, helmets, championship rings, — and has even dispatched his private plane to fly sick race fans across the country. When a little girl, a fan, stricken with cancer was ignored by most drivers, Tony spent half the day with her.
Acts of kindness like this abound. ‘Smoke’ has been a major contributor to the Petty’s Victory Junction Gang Camp since its inception. In fact, Stewart is the largest individual fundraiser for the camp and is even one of the founding members. On three separate occasions, The Tony Stewart Foundation has written cheques for $1 million to the camp.
Tony’s top fundraiser is the Prelude to the Dream where he brings a number of Sprint Cup drivers to Eldora Speedway for an exhibition race. Proceeds from the event go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp.
On August 26th Tony hosted the “Smoke Show,” a racing fantasy camp to raise money and awareness for Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter, at Texas Motor Speedway. The event raised a record $217,000 which makes the "Smoke Show" the largest grossing single-day event in the history of SCC-TexasChapter. All money raised was distributed to non-profit organizations across Denton, Tarrant, Collin and Dallas counties.
The Tony Stewart Foundation has once again partnered with Parker Hannifin Corporation in support of their 2008 Champions for Children fundraising campaign which runs from September 1 through November 15. Champions for Children is a national sweepstakes designed to raise money for local charities that assist children with life-threatening diseases.
As it turns out, it’s not the number of cheques that Tony writes or the children he helps that grabs headlines. His occasionally tempestuous nature, his determination and his sharp tongue is what the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion has become known for.
Tony Stewart may speak his mind about racing-related topics but, at the same time, doesn’t talk about the good deeds that he did all week before the race. Although it may seem as though Tony’s at his best when he’s courting controversy, there is a side of Tony Stewart that fans often don’t get to see. If fans are smart, they’ll learn to appreciate Tony Stewart while they can. Guys like Tony don’t come along everyday.
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