Stewart Helping Flood Victims

[Schwartz Fan]

Stewart Helping Flood Victims

Managing Editor


Tony Stewart is once again becoming involved in a charitable effort this time by donating a portion of this weekend's race earnings in the Lifelock 400 at Michigan to Indiana flood victims.

Less than two weeks ago, Stewart's "Prelude to the Dream" charity all-star race at his Eldora Speedway dirt track raised $1 million for the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Now Stewart is reaching out to the residents of his native state after witnessing the devastating flooding going on earlier this week.

"I went down on Monday and visited the guys at the city garage who have been working long hours trying to get the streets and everything cleaned up," Stewart said. "I just went there and told all those guys, ‘Thanks’. Most of those guys have been working 24-hour shifts getting everything cleaned up. We went by the junior high I used to go to, and that’s where the Red Cross has their shelter put up, and I went in there to try to lift everybody’s spirits up and just visit with everybody."

"Everybody is doing a really good job. They had 500 people in that shelter on Saturday night, and they were down to 35 people by Monday afternoon. It’s just hard. A lot of these people have lost everything, and I just wanted to let them know we were thinking about them. Just spending a couple of minutes with them made them smile, and it seemed like it made them feel better.”

The visit prompted Stewart to donate a portion of his earnings this weekend at Michigan to the American Red Cross who will specify the amount to flood relief.

"We drove through some neighborhoods Monday night after we did our radio show and saw places that still didn’t have power and places where the water was still five or six feet high in their house, and that’s not counting their basement," Stewart said. "So, it kind of gave me the same feeling that I get when I visit Victory Junction Gang Camp. You realize that even on your worst day, you still have it "pretty darn good.

"But unlike Victory Junction, there’s no happiness at the end of the day. There are people who are sad because they’ve lost their homes. That’s the hard part. You want to do something, but it’s so widespread, you don’t know what to do. I’m going to donate my portion of the race winnings from Michigan to the American Red Cross. I figure that’s at least a start.”

Those wishing to join Stewart in helping those affected by the floods throughout Indiana can call 812-379-9551 or send checks payable to The American Red Cross, 931 Repp Drive, Columbus, IN 47201. If writing a check, write “Indiana Flood & Tornado Relief” on the memo line.

Stewart will be looking for his first Sprint Cup Series win of the season and second career at Michigan in Sunday's race, which carries more special meaning since it's on Father's Day.

"He never let me settle for second," Stewart said of his father. "He didn’t like it when we ran second, and he knew that I didn’t like it when we ran second. If he saw that I wasn’t giving 100 percent, then he was on me pretty hard about it. He pushed me to be better."


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