Sprint Car Drivers Race to Find Families

Sprint Car Drivers Race to Find Families
for Adoptive Youths

WILLIAMS GROVE—Diakon Adoption and Foster Care, along with public and private adoption providers, are finalizing plans for an original event that teams children searching for families with the racing community—Adoption Night at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, Aug. 1.
56 drivers for 410 and 358 teams will show their support for adoption by displaying photos of 81 children searching for a permanent family. The photos will be displayed on a temporary vinyl wing covering on the cars’ top right wing panels. Forty of the featured youths will attend the race to meet the driver displaying their photo and cheer on their respective drivers.

“Not only is this a wonderful opportunity to educate racing fans about the great kids who are searching for a family, it is an evening of fun for these kids,” says Elisa Esh, Diakon Adoption and Foster Care. “They have the opportunity to attend the race but to also meet other youths searching for a family. It helps them to realize that they are not alone.”

In addition, participating adoption agencies will host an adoption fair outside the pit entrance speedway gates to further enhance their efforts to promote adoption awareness. The fair will provide opportunities for racing fans to learn about adoption, meet children searching for a family, as well as help families already in the adoption process to meet and talk with other adoptive parents as well as adoption professionals.

This is the fifth year for Adoption Night at Williams Grove Speedway. Last year’s Adoption Night was a huge success and twenty-two children were matched with adoptive families.
As always, sponsors make this event possible, especially in difficult economic times.

“The economy has greatly affected our ability to fund raise to the level where this event has enjoyed in the past. We have had many long-standing sponsors step up to help us this year and we are most grateful for their support; however, we were still falling short in terms of funding,” says Esh. “Mr. Darrah, Cody and crew chief, Lee Stauffer, have always been supportive of this event and when I reached out to them for help to assure that our event is a success again this year, they were more than willing.”

Adoption Night’s primary sponsors include J & K Salvage and Darrah Motorsports. Other sponsors include The Kevin Gobrecht Memorial Foundation, C&S Landscaping, Inc., Don Ott Racing Engines, Kinard Trucking, Kulp Family, National Open Chili Cook-Off, Wings Unlimited, Winters Performance Products, Alvin R. Beam, Hoosier Tires, J&S Fabrication, Glenn and Nancy Rudisill, Hershey Chocolate, Members 1st Credit Union, and Mr. and Mrs. Roger Hall.

For racing fans, the first 300 children entering the speedway will receive a coupon for a free Frosty from Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers and the first 300 fans will receive a coupon for one game of bowling at ABC West Bowling Lanes, Mechanicsburg.

Adoption Night at Williams Grove is sponsored by Diakon Adoption and Foster Care in collaboration with Dauphin and Montgomery County Children and Youth agencies, Bethanna, Jewish Family Services/Adoption links, NHS Services, Families United Network, and Project STAR of Pittsburgh.

Currently more than 3,400 special needs children wait to be adopted in Pennsylvania. Of those, more than 1,300 children with a goal of adoption do not have a permanent family identified. The majority of the children range in ages from 10 – 18. Most have special needs, special needs vary and can be medical, emotional or physical disabilities. Single or two-parent families can adopt, regardless of race or age. If you think you can open your heart and your home to a child in need or just want more information, please contact Elisa Esh, Diakon Adoption and Foster Care, at 800-723-7038 or visit www.diakon.org or www.adoptpakids.org .