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The driver of the No. 23 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Cup Series has kicked off the holiday season with a massive effort to help out those in need. Bubba Wallace and the Live to Be Different Foundation held a toy drive to benefit children in the area.
The second annual Live to Be Different Foundation toy drive took place on Saturday, December 18, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. Wallace and several volunteers gathered together and organized a multitude of bikes and toys for families in need. They loaded bags full of toys into vehicles while trying to spread holiday cheer.
“Families that didn’t have enough time. The pandemic hit super hard, and they might be going through some things,” Wallace said during the event. “We’re here to help out and be that shoulder to lean on for Christmas and get the kids the presents that they all deserve.”
According to Wallace’s fiancee, Amanda Carter, the foundation supported 400 kids this year with the toy drive. She added that many people have been generous with donations of both toys and money to provide joy to families in the local area.
Wallace Won Comcast Community Champion of the Year in 2020
The Live to Be Different Foundation has been in existence since 2017 when he was running part-time schedules in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series. The foundation has the goal of encouraging the next generation to be better and more inclusive than every generation before it.
Wallace’s work through the foundation earned him a prestigious honor during the 2020 season. Comcast named him, along with Kaulig Racing owner Matt Kaulig and Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell, as finalists for the Comcast Community Champion of the Year.
Wallace won the 2020 award and locked up a $60,000 donation for the Live to Be Different Foundation. This money furthered the foundation’s efforts to support “disadvantaged individuals and those in need of a second chance with educational, social or other types of assistance needed to help make their dreams reality.” Kaulig and Campbell each secured $30,000 for foundations associated with them.
Multiple Figures Across NASCAR Have Delivered Gifts
Wallace isn’t the only NASCAR driver delivering holiday spirit this season. Multiple others have done their part to support families in need. The list also includes Joey Logano and Hailie Deegan.
The two Ford Performance Drivers took part in an event benefiting foster families at the Children’s Hope Alliance. They delivered a truckload of presents and spent time with the families before using an electric Ford F-150 Lightning to light up a massive Christmas tree.
Similarly, the executives at Michigan International Speedway held a toy drive of their own. They opened the doors of the two-mile track on December 4 so hundreds of people could live their dreams as drivers. According to WLNS 6, they first had to donate either a new toy or canned food items that will go to families in need across Jackson and Lenawee counties. This event marked the 13th consecutive year for the MIS Cares toy drive.
“We know this is a tough time of year for a lot of families, so people coming out and dropping off toys and non-perishable foods for Jackson and Lenawee county it’s just a huge help and it’s just one small part that we can do,” Jenna Salazar, Marketing Manager for Michigan International Speedway, told the news station.
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