CONCORD, N.C. – General Mills and Richard Childress unveiled a special paint scheme for the No. 33 Cheerios Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday (Oct. 13) that is in support of the United Service Organization (USO). The paint scheme will be raced at Phoenix and will feature a new Cheerios program that encourages fans to send messages of support to the families of US Servicemen and women through the Cheer Campaign.
Race fans can send a Cheer Card during this weekend’s activities at Charlotte Motor Speedway by stopping by the Cheerios display in the speedway’s new Fan Zone. Cheerios will also be hosting 100 troops stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, and their families, during Saturday night’s Bank of America 500. Cheerios will donate $1 for each card sent to the USO and to date the company has already donated $150,000.
“We are honored to be a part of this with the USO,” said Erin Pisca, Integrated Communications Manager for Cheerios. “We will have Cheer Cards for fans to fill out. We are honred to be a part of this with Clint Bowyer and Richard Childress Racing. We at Cheerios think it is really important to send support to the families of our military and those serving our nation. We want to thank the USO for allowing us to partner with them to do this.”
“We would like to thank Cheerios and Richard Childress and Clint for doing this,” said Frank Thorp, senior vice president of communications and marketing for the USO. “We are proud to be partnering with them. There are more than 1.4 million people serving in the Armed Forces and that affects about 2.4 million family members.
“They serve just like their family members do. Now fans have the opportunity to send a Cheer Card to family members, and that is invaluable to them. To have an American icon like Cheerios do that – and through Richard Childress Racing – is great.
“I think this is very cool,” said Childress. “Anytime you can do anything for our military … they are the reason we get to do what we do. And for General Mills, Cheerios, and the USO to put this program together, our race fans are probably the most patriotic fans in any form of sport. For us to have this car and send these postcards out to families, I’m proud to be a part of it.”
“I just echo everything that Richard said,” said Bowyer. “To be part of this and get the opportunity is exciting. This is something where everybody jumped on board. This is a neat way for Cheerios to help our servicemen.”
What is it that Mike Neff doesn’t do? The writer, radio contributor and racetrack announcer coordinates the site’s local short track coverage, hitting up Saturday Night Specials across the country while tracking the sport’s future racing stars. The writer for our signature Cup post-race column, Thinkin’ Out Loud (Mondays) also sits down with Cup crew chiefs to talk shop every Friday with Tech Talk. Mike announces several shows each year for the Good Guys Rod and Custom Association. He also pops up everywhere from PRN Pit Reporters and the Press Box with Alan Smothers to SIRIUS XM Radio. He has announced at tracks all over the Southeast, starting at Millbridge Speedway. He's also announced at East Lincoln Speedway, Concord Speedway, Tri-County Speedway, Caraway Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway.