Last weekend was anything but ordinary for CHoR patients who got to experience the spring NASCAR race held at Richmond Raceway.
For the past seven years, NASCAR driver Josh Williams has made it his mission to support children’s hospitals across the country during his travels for races. In that span of time, he’s visited more than 200 hospitals to spread some cheer, typically visiting about 30 hospitals each racing season.
When Williams knew a visit to Richmond was in his future, his team reached out to CHoR to find ways to partner around the spring race.
“This cause is so important to me and it’s incredible to get to be a bright spot for these kids who are in the hospital,” said Williams. “These visits are truly fun for me and it’s something I hope to continue to do for years to come.”
The driver’s first step in showing support for CHoR was getting the No. 78 car wrapped with our logo and branding. Williams tweeted a preview of the wrap for his car in the week leading up to the race, noting the colorful car he would be driving at Richmond Raceway. The sponsorship space on the hood was given free of charge with a donation from Alloy Employer Services, a primary sponsor for Williams and B.J. McLeod Motorsports.
Williams brought the racetrack to current hospital patients over Zoom to give them a virtual tour of the raceway and pit and offer them a look at some cars and tools. The visit was held remotely to keep in line with current COVID-19 protocols at the hospital.
One CHoR patient, Frankie Ferreira, got the chance to meet Williams and experience the excitement of the raceway in person. Frankie was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in 2020 an receives care from our nationally-recognized neuromuscular team.
The fun didn’t stop there. Thanks to the generosity of Richmond Raceway providing tickets, 100 CHoR patients and hospital team members were able to attend Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 race.
“We’re so thankful Josh has made such a wonderful commitment to children’s hospitals across the nation and that our patients got to benefit from both his and the Richmond Raceway’s generosity,” said Elias Neujahr, CHoR president. “Our patients loved having the chance to be a part of race weekend and experience Richmond Raceway virtually and in person.”
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