Last week South Boston Speedway donated Speedy Bears and Speedy Bear houses to Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital. The donation was made as part of the NASCAR Foundation’s Seventh Annual Speedy Bear Brigade powered by Kaulig Giving.

“The donation of the Speedy Bears is wonderful for our pediatric patients who are going through a scary time,” said Diana Durfey, clinical manager of the emergency department at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital. “These bears give them something to hang on to when they need some comfort. We appreciate the thoughtful donation and know that our patients will too.”

The team at South Boston Speedway is very happy to be involved with this outreach initiative.

“All of us at South Boston Speedway are grateful to Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital for welcoming this outreach opportunity,” Brown said. “Bringing a smile to kids’ faces is so important. Partnering with The NASCAR Foundation to donate Speedy Bears is a wonderful way to brighten the day for young children going through difficult times. Having a stuffed animal nearby always made me feel safe and sound when I was very young, and I hope the children in the community will feel that same feeling when they hold their Speedy Bear.”

The Seventh Annual Speedy Bear Brigade is being held in conjunction with National Teddy Bear Day on Saturday, September 9 with events at Kaulig Giving’s headquarters in Akron, Ohio as well as at NASCAR headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina and Daytona Beach, Florida.

Through the efforts of The NASCAR Foundation and Kaulig Giving, NASCAR-themed Teddy Bears are being delivered to 100 hospitals participating in race markets across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

This year’s effort is the biggest to date. Since the Speedy Bear Brigade was launched seven years ago the cumulative total of Speedy Bears that have been delivered has topped 11,000.

NASCAR fans can join the Speedy Bear Brigade by making a $25 donation to The NASCAR Foundation to sponsor a Speedy Bear and send an inspirational message to a child in the hospital. As an additional incentive, Kaulig Giving will match each $25 donation made at NASCARfoundation.org/speedybear for a total gift of $25,000.