Kasey Kahne Foundation: Second Annual 5K

Kasey Kahne, Mrs. Caraccia and my niece. Credit to photographer of the Kasey Kahne Foundation website.

Kasey Kahne hosted his second annual Kasey Kahne 5K to help the Kasey Kahne Foundation and the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Sunday October 16, 2011. The 5K is to raise money for youth causes. With a partnership with the NC STEM Community Collaborative, proceeds from the run will fund grants for educational field trips to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The NC STEM Community  helps communities ensure that all North Carolina students are career and college ready by engaging in rigorous and relevant Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. To find out more you can check out the website at www.ncstem.org.

Proceeds also went to the foundation's other charities such as the Ronald McDonald House which was built in Charlotte recently. The Ronald McDonald House is a place where families can stay during the time their child is receiving extensive care at a local hospital that may be further away from where the family resides.

The run started at 10 A.M this year, two hours later than last year. Drivers Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson did attend last year but not this year; it's safe to assume Johnson may have been resting from Saturday night's crash. Bob Pockrass from Scene Daily attended again, but this year media didn't make an extra effort to attend as they did last year. If you remember the Oct. 2010 Bank of America 500 race is when Kahne walked out of his No.9 Budweiser car after a crash on the front stretch and altercation with his team. Charlotte's country station 96.9 The Kat was there hosting an interview session with Kahne at the NASCAR Hall of Fame before awards for running times were handed out.

Participants ran from Bank of America Stadium, or for others who are not too familiar, the NFL Panther's stadium, around the beautiful streets of Charlotte until they reached the NASCAR Hall of Fame. An approximate count of at least 300 people showed up for the run. The cost to run varied between $20 to $35, depending on the day the participant chose to register.

Pictures of this year's event can be seen on the Kasey Kahne Foundation website.

Pictured above and on the front page of the Kasey Kahne Foundation website is my niece with her grandmother. She received the award for the fastest time in her age group for the second year. She came down from Queens, New York to run for both season's and beat her score from last year.

It was my second time attending the charity event as well. Last year, I was new at Skirts and Scuffs and new to NASCAR journalism but I was not new to running or exercise. I will admit, although with a little shame, that I was not as fast this year as I was last. Without getting into specific detail, waking up on Sunday and participating in the run helped me release an awful lot of stress that has been building.

Kasey Kahne talking with Charlotte's Kat Country DJ Photo Credit: Genevieve
To me, exercise is not a hobby or an obsession, it's a lifestyle, one that I'm passionate about. Running a 5K is something I highly recommend to everyone. Let's hope the Kasey Kahne Foundation and NASCAR Hall of Fame host another event next October.
Kasey Kahne Foundation: Second Annual 5K Kasey Kahne Foundation: Second Annual 5K Reviewed by Unknown on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 Rating: 5