For nearly 30 years, Speedway Children’s Charities has had an impact on nonprofits in the region through various sporting events, most notably the annual NASCAR race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
That is the largest single-event fundraiser for the nonprofit, which provides aid to children in need in Tarrant, Collin, Denton and Dallas counties, said Marissa Chaney, executive director of Speedway Children's Charities' Texas chapter.
Zooming in
Last year, the Speedway Children’s Charities’ Texas chapter, or SCC-Texas, awarded $250,000 in grants to 37 nonprofits throughout the region. Chaney said there were 165 requests submitted, and the board of directors looked through each application. Chaney said the awards range from $5,000-$20,000, depending on the specific project requested, and are for a specific project rather than operational funds.
The criteria for selection are critical needs, such as victims of abuse or trafficking, food, clothing or shelter, Chaney said. Medical and educational requests are also considered.
“We want our dollars to be as impactful as possible,” Chaney said.
More than a dozen new nonprofits were awarded funds in 2025, including Denton-based Food for the Soul and Lewisville’s PediPlace, which provides healthcare to uninsured or Medicaid patients up to 18 years old in North Texas, according to its website.
Funds in 2025 were also awarded to nonprofits such as Alliance for Children, Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County, CASA of Collin County, Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas Inc., Christ’s Haven for Children, Cook Children’s Foundation, Denton County Friends of the Family, Frisco Fastpacs, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, Tarrant Area Food Bank, Traffick911 and Union Gospel Mission.
“We stay in contact and do site visits as much as we can,” Chaney said. “We go to ribbon-cuttings; we want to show organizations it’s not just writing a check.”
The details
Two of the biggest fundraisers for SCC-Texas are coming up this spring.
Texas Motor Speedway will host a trio of races from May 1-3, starting with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 250, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 and the NASCAR Cup Series WÜRTH 400.
A live auction, a legacy shop with memorabilia and a 50-50 raffle are all part of the fundraising efforts during race weekend.
On April 30, the Speedway Children’s Charities will host the Bill Walker Memorial Gears & Greens Golf Tournament at the Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Hotel & Golf Club at Champions Circle.
Last year, the Tony Stewart’s Charity Bowling Tournament fundraising event was added to the calendar. Held at Bowlero in Euless, more than 20 celebrities joined the former NASCAR driver and raised more than $73,000 for SCC-Texas.
There is also an annual celebrity clay shooting event, a benefit concert and Laps for Charity, which is a chance to drive your own vehicle around the Texas Motor Speedway track, Chaney said.
The SSC-Texas group also runs charity events for the Circuit of The Americas, donating to nonprofits in the Austin area. That race weekend was held Feb. 27-March 1.
The impact
There are 10 other Speedway Children’s Charities, which was founded by O. Bruton Smith, who was the chair of Speedway Motorsports Inc. in 1982, according to its website.
According to its website, the Speedway Children’s Charities could fill the grandstands at Texas Motor Speedway 14 times with the number of children they helped since 1997, the year it was launched.
The nonprofit has given $12.6 million in grants to various nonprofits in the region. Each year, there is a ceremony for that process, bringing children who are aided by the grants to the speedway. Held on Dec. 3, children were provided a chance to take a photo with Santa, watch movies enjoy a firework show, according to a news release.
Through a partnership with Fidelity Investments, 100 bicycles are also awarded during the event to children.
One particular moment still sticks with Chaney. A mother brought her son to a previous event and was in tears when a bicycle was given to her son not long after his father died.
The mother, while crying, told Chaney that the gift helped remove a little burden during a trying time for the family.
“That sticks with me,” Chaney said. “We are proud of what we do; we have a million stories like that.”
