Last year I crashed my Quad and had to have an emergency appendectomy. I know, quads are dangerous and kids probably shouldn’t ride them. I’ve heard that more times than I can count. But you should have seen my triple flip over the handle bars, it was really cool! Anyway, right before surgery the nurse gave me a teddy bear and told me it was a little bit of love to take into surgery since my parents couldn’t go with me. I thought that was a really nice idea. A few months later my mom read me an email from the ONMC (Official NASCAR Members Club) that talked about Martin Truex Jr. driver of the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy. Martin was starting a foundation, he was asking for help to collect stuffed animals for The Dove House in North Carolina . The stuffed animals would be given to kids in need. The email reminded me of my bear from my surgery and I wanted to help! First because it sounded like a really great cause and second because Martin Truex Jr. is one of my two favorite drivers, the other being Dale Earnhardt Jr. Both of them are great drivers and do a lot to help kids. They also like video games, ATV’s and the outdoors, just like me so what’s not to like! After my mom and I talked about the story and Martin’s new foundation, I was convinced that we really HAD to help collect stuffed animals through her ONMC chapter. Then we could send them to Martin’s foundation in Mooresville , NC . We decided on the name “Signs of Love” for our program because the stuffed animals were a sign of love and at donation events we could give away a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver signed hat randomly to one of the people who donated stuffed animals. It sounded great and a good way to encourage people to donate more!

My mom is the ONMC local chapter president in Paso Robles and she works with 2 other ONMC presidents, Dianna in Bakersfield and Corey in Clovis , so she called them in for help too. My dream was to collect 500 stuffed animals by the time of the All Star Race so that we could take them back to North Carolina and donate them to the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and maybe (just maybe) I would get to meet Martin Truex Jr. Yeah right, huh! Keep dreaming kid! The only problem we had was it was already October and we would leave for the race on May 13^th of 2008, so that only left about six and a half months.

I started talking to anyone and everyone that would listen. Kids, parents, grandparents, schools, and groups, everyone was great about donating stuffed animals. We talked radio stations into helping. My mom and I were able to get a store to match donations up to 50 bears. Dianna talked a store into donating a box of 50 stuffed animals. We held a donation event at my school just one week before our trip to North Carolina and collected 98 stuffed animals. Unfortunately we were about 35 short of our goal, so Dianna, my mom, and grandma all went shopping and came back with enough stuffed animals to total 528!! We had done it! It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. Just knowing that 528 kids were going to get a “Sign of Love” made me feel GREAT! We boxed up the bears in 14 boxes and shipped them to our hotel in North Carolina. Next, Dianna said she would contact the ONMC and see if they would let Martin know that we were bringing over 500 stuffed animals for his foundation. I kept my fingers crossed and hoped that he would want to meet me, I had worked so hard to start the “Signs of Love” program and keep it going. But I figured even though he’s a great guy, he was probably way too busy on a race weekend to meet with people.

So now that you know how it all started I can tell you what ended up happening, you are really not going to believe this.

Ron Lemasters from the ONMC called Martin’s Public Relations Manager Blair, who is a great guy. Ron told Blair my story and somehow Martin had enough time to meet me! I was so excited; I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. Before Ron and I left to go meet Martin, my mom gave me the camera, two bags of the bears, a Sharpie (for an autograph), and my cell phone (she worries all the time). Ron and I got onto a golf cart and drove into the infield to the NASCAR garage. Martin was finishing up with a fan club event so we had to wait a few minutes and then he came over and talked with us. It was so cool, he really listened to me. I told him my whole story and answered his questions. We took pictures and I kept putting my hand on my chest because my heart would not slow down, it was going crazy. I was just standing there talking to Martin Truex Jr. (like I do it all the time, right) and other NASCAR drivers are walking all around us. Then, Ron and I got to go to the driver’s meeting with him! We were right behind Martin Truex Jr., “Zippi” Tony’s crew chief was next to us, Dale Jr was 3 rows in front of us, Jack Roush was on our Left, Casey Mears was to the right of Dale Jr, and I have pictures to prove all of this! Everyone was there, it was so incredible!

Now if you are thinking this story can’t possibly get any better, well you would be wrong. Because if I haven’t told you yet Martin Truex Jr. is a really cool person! Martin and Blair actually asked if my mom would mind if I sat on their pit box for the All Star Race! Yes, you read that right the pit box! I thought they were kidding, and I knew even if they weren’t my mom would say no (remember she worries). Ron suggested we call her, so I called and asked her and she actually said yes but… she wanted to talk to Ron. Uh oh! Ron got on the phone and said she just wanted me back before the end of the race; she was worried about all the confusion at the end of the race. Everyone agreed and said they would work out the badges and come get me before the start of the race. When I got back to my mom, I hugged her so tight she just laughed and said your welcome. I told her about everything, the garage, Martin, Blair, the driver meeting, I showed her my pictures; I called all my family and friends. Then, we went up to our seats to wait.

Just before the start of the race, Ron came up to get me. We took the golf cart back down to the pits and both of us sat up on the pit box. Ron told me he had never sat on a pit box either. I met Martin’s girlfriend Sherry, she’s really beautiful and was very nice. I could not believe how different everything looks from there. The stands look huge, the track looks really different, and you feel like you can touch the cars from where you’re sitting. When Martin brought the car in for a pit stop we were just a few feet away, it was so cool! TV doesn’t even make it look that close! I took pictures with my cell phone; one of the pictures is my new screen saver. All day (and night) I just kept thinking this can’t really be happening TO ME, but it was. Martin could have just said thanks…but he didn’t. He went out of his way to make my day extra special, he is the best!

When a kid says they dream of someday meeting someone they are a huge fan of, never in their wildest dreams do they imagine anything like the story I just told you. But my story really is true and thanks to Martin Truex Jr, Blair Minton, and Ron Lemasters I will always remember May17, 2008 as a day that my wildest dreams really came true! I also need to thank Mom, Dianna, Cory, Grandma and everyone who donated and helped collect the stuffed animals. Thank you!
ONLY.

The fan club appreciation dinner will be hosted at the Sea Oaks Resort, and is a public event, which will feature a silent auction, raffle, door prizes, live entertainment and autograph session. Tickets are $100.00 and are available at martintruexjr.com, or by calling the business office. There are only 300 tickets available for this dinner.
Though the golf tournament is by invitation only, sponsorships are still available for this portion of the day.
For more information regarding either the golf tournament or dinner, please call the business office at 704-664-1113.

For those of you that will be in town for the Charlotte race weekend, Martin’s office will be open to the public and Kelly and staff will be taking donations for the shelter (directions to his office are on his website). For those of you who are coming to the fan club event in May, you can bring your donation with you to the Bass Pro Shops, where we will be collecting items from the list below. Or if you’re just a fan of Martin’s that wants to help, please feel free to mail your donation to the address on his website!

Below is a list of what the shelter is in need of, so please chose one or several unused, new items from the list below so we can help these women and children lead a somewhat normal life through the trying times they are going through in their lives.

Items needed:
Any household products (paper towels, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, tissues, etc.)
Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.)
Canned non-perishable vegetables or fruit
New pillow or bed linens (for twin sized mattresses)
Size 4-5 diapers
Black sharpie markers

You can bring as much or as little as you want! Throughout this whole process of getting the foundation up and running, I’ve come to the realization that doing a little bit of good, can mean so much to so many people. Martin and I just took part in the Oprah’s “BIG GIVE” with our local ABC affiliate here in Charlotte. It has been so neat to see the process of giving spread like wildfire throughout the NASCAR community. We are having so much fun bringing smiles to all of the people’s faces that we are able to help! We hope you can be a part of that too, in some small way!

I look forward to seeing you all at the Fan Club event and Martin promises to write in his journal soon! He’s been busy testing, racing, appearances, and well, yes, a little bit of vacation and fishing too! HAHA…have a wonderful week and we’ll see you guys soon!

Sherry

Mary and a guest will travel to Mooresville, NC on American Airlines, get their rental car at the airport from Enterprise Rent a Car, spend the evening with fresh pretzels from the Philly Pretzel Factory , while staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites. The next day, lunch will be served at The DockSide Deli, then off for an afternoon of fishing with Martin and Bono, followed by dinner at the Texas Steakhouse.

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation would like to thank everyone who participated in the auction.

Truex was in attendance the first part of the night to mingle with guests and show his support for both causes. “This is definitely a special night for all the people that work hard at MTJF and for Sherry. She’s wanted to do something like this for a long time; to be able to host this party in her own store, she’s in heaven right now!,” said Truex. “I am proud to be a part of what’s going on at the Dove House and it’s been a pleasure getting to know Brenda and Jack.”

The Dove House is a non-profit child advocacy center that helps sexually abused children. One of the many missions of the MTJF is to help Dove House build their new state of the art facility in Statesville, NC; mortgage-free!

For more information on how you can help the Dove House or the MTJF, please visit www.dovehouse.us or www.martintruexjrfoundation.org.

Sign Up Your Company!
If your co-workers are as crazy about NASCAR as you are, then help get them wrapped up in the spirit of NASCAR Day by signing up your company to participate! When you sign up your company to participate in NASCAR Day, you will receive a Crew Chief kit free of charge. In your kit will come NASCAR Day pins in the amount you specify (in increments of 25), a Crew Chief Manual with ideas on how to celebrate at your office, envelopes for collecting and sending in your donations and posters for display in your office’s common areas. Encourage your co-workers to donate $5.00 for their commemorative NASCAR Day pin and return your collected donations and un-used pins at the end of the campaign. Don’t forget to enter MTJF into the ‘Charity Code’ section of the online sign-up form to designate your funds to Martin Truex Jr. Foundation.

Get Your Individual Pin!
Visit our website and click on the NASCAR Day logo to donate $5.00 online to get your NASCAR Day pin. Any online pin orders from our website will automatically be earmarked towards CHARITY NAME.

Call the NASCAR Day Telethon!
On Friday, May 16th, participate in the second-annual NASCAR Day Telethon by calling 1 (888) MAY16TH. Mention Martin Truex Jr. Foundation on the phone and 100% of your donation will benefit Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. More details to come!

Join us in making a difference by celebrating the fifth-annual celebration of NASCAR Day on Friday, May 16th!.

The highest bidder and a guest will receive round-trip air-fare courtesy of American Airlines, a two-night stay courtesy of the Hampton Inn & Suites in Mooresville, N.C., with fresh pretzels from The Pretzel Factory upon arrival at the hotel, a lunch provided by Dockside Deli (Truex’s favorite lunch spot on Lake Norman), dinner for two at Texas Steakhouse in Mooresville and a rental car provided by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

The 27-year old driver of the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet spends most of his off-time fishing on the banks of Lake Norman, often catching bass, striper and crappie. “It is great to be able to incorporate one of my favorite hobbies into the foundation. I am excited that we can help raise money for these kids doing something I love to do everyday,” said Truex. “And to have my sponsor Bass Pro Shops support this event and my foundation, is a wonderful thing to everyone at the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation.”

The MTJF is focused on helping children in need in Martin’s home state of New Jersey and hometown of Mooresville, N.C. For more information on the foundation and the project initiatives for 2008 or how you can donate, please visit www.martintruexjrfoundation.org.

The Philly Pretzel Factory opened its doors in Mooresville North Carolina in February of 2008. Specializing in hand twisted, freshly baked soft pretzels, served 7 days a week, this family owned and operated bakery is sure to be a hit in Mooresville!

George and Jill Heck, Gary and Suzanne Heck, and Diane and Bill Pisel (three siblings and their spouses) have relocated their families to Mooresville to bring a taste of Philly to the South. Bringing family together is one of their primary purposes along with their desire to give back to the community with an affordable, healthy snack option that everyone loves! The community of Mooresville was a natural fit!

Along with their standard soft pretzel, the Pretzel Factory also offers mini’s (a smaller version of their standard), rivets (bite-sized soft pretzel nuggets), pretzel hot dogs, and a spicy beef sausage pretzel. For entertaining they offer flavored pretzels on party trays that include sesame, poppy seed, garlic, salt and everything pretzels. Whether your needs are for a large fundraiser or a small party, they have a tasty solution that is sure to please everyone in your crowd.

The Philly Pretzel Factory is located in the Mooresville Crossing shopping center at 591-S River Hwy, directly across Highway 150 from the Target Supercenter. Their hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 8am – 8pm and Sundays from 10am to 5pm.

Stop by and pick up a box!

Jack Grossman, Fundraising Chairman for Dove House, explains, “The concept of “TAG, You’re It!” is easy; it starts with the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation “tagging” other NASCAR-related people, such as team owners, drivers, crew chiefs, etc. Martin’s foundation purchases the first engraved brick paver for $1,000, and a custom etched message is engraved in the 10” hexagonal paver to be placed in the walkways of the meditation gardens at the new Dove House facility.” Then new building project will break ground in April of this year. The pavers are also epoxy filled for resistance to weather and to prevent deterioration of the engraved message. Grossman continues, “The other people that are tagged are encouraged to join the campaign by purchasing a paver, and then tagging other people they know in the NASCAR community to do the same thing. It is similar to the pay-it-forward concept.” People can visit www.DoveHouse.us to see the results of the campaign; the website is updated as brick pavers are purchased.

“We are so excited about playing an integral part in this campaign,” says Kelly Janow, Executive Director of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. “It is a great way to raise a lot of money for a great cause. I’ve been to Dove House and have seen the work that they do firsthand… it is heart-breaking, but so necessary and so important to the children.” All proceeds from the “TAG, You’re It!” campaign go directly to the building fund. Dove House purchased 4 acres of land in 2007 to build a new 6,400 sq. ft. facility in order to better serve the children. “It is our hope to build this building without a mortgage, and this campaign will certainly help,” says Grossman. He hope to engage the entire community in supporting us through our fundraising events such as Rockin’ RibFest, which will be held on May 30 through June 1 at the Iredell County Fairgrounds in Troutman. For more information, visit www.DoveHouseRibFest.com, www.DoveHouse.us, or www.MartinTruexJrFoundation.org.

As you know, Dove House is a non-profit organization providing a safe and child-friendly facility that is supporting the investigation, prosecution and therapy / follow-up of all reported child sexual assault cases in Iredell and Alexander Counties in North Carolina. We have received over 982 cases since opening five years ago and have provided services to over 3,000 primary and secondary victims. Our current trend is approximately five new cases each week. Our community’s improved coordinated response, facilitated by Dove House, has resulted in much higher quality investigations, and we are experiencing an 87% successful prosecution rate – up from less than 20% prior to Dove House’s existence. Strong community and corporate support is a critical factor in our ability to serve these children who are suffering because of child sexual abuse, as well as providing an array of services to their non-offending family members. 

We were honored recently to host Kelly for a tour of Dove House during our first meeting with her. Martin, I hope that someday soon you, Sherry, and Sherry’s mother, can visit Dove House for a tour of our beautiful child-friendly facility so you can see first-hand the work that we perform daily towards improving the lives of children who have suffered because of child sexual abuse. 

Again, thank you for your concern for the safety and welfare of our children through your Foundation’s support of Dove House. We are continually blessed by the provision of financial needs through gracious donations such as yours, which allow us to continue to provide valuable services to child victims of sexual assault and their non-offending family members. 

Sincerely,
Brenda C. Deal, Executive Director

Please follow these two steps to fully maximize your contribution.
Step 1 - Individual
1. Use www.GiveBackAmerica.org every time you shop online
2. What purchase do I make today that can be done over the Internet?
  a. Toiletries - Drug store.com (via www.GiveBackAmerica.org)
  b. Electronics - Best Buy.com (via www.GiveBackAmerica.org)
3. Tell your friends about us using our "Six Degrees of Giving Program"
4. Save GiveBackAmerica.org to your favorites

Step 2 - Workplace
1. Encourage co-workers to use www.GiveBackAmerica.org
2. Look for Internet fund raising opportunities (www.GiveBackAmerica.org) at work
  a. Does your company book online travel?
  b. Does your company order online office supplies?

REMEMBER
* Visit www.GiveBackAmerica.org before you shop online
* Select "The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation" as your charity
* Shop from any one of the over 200 major retail stores

The foundation will match up to $10,000 in donations that fans contribute to the Red Kettle. All funds raised will go to assist the families and children in North Carolina and New Jersey. Please take a moment and visit us at Salvation Red Kettle

Help Make a difference during the Holiday Season! Every dollar collected will make a impact in a child's life.

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation will be hosting several fundraisers and mission projects during the 2008 race season. To participate in upcoming events please check out the official foundation website at www.martintruexjrfoundation.org. Help us Help Children through our fundraising efforts.

The foundation’s first project, Lil’ Bears for Lil’ Kids, has already become a huge success. With the help of Truex’s sponsor Bass Pro Shops donating 1,000 teddy bears, Martin’s fans and staff collected 850 stuffed animals to benefit the Dove House in Statesville, N.C. The Dove House is a non-profit organization that serves children who are sexually abused. For more information on how you can help the Dove House, please visit www.dovehouse.us.

“I’m really excited to start the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation for Children in need,” said Truex. “My whole life I’ve wanted to put myself in a position where I could give back to my community and children that are less fortunate than I was. Growing up, my family didn’t have much, but what we did have was always shared with others. My Mom and Dad have always given back in the community where I grew up, so this foundation is my chance to do the same.”

“I feel very fortunate to be in the situation I’m in right now, so to be able to do this for children that need my help is very special to me. My hope is that my foundation will not only give these children some time away from the worries in their life, but that we can change their lives forever.”

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation would like to thank the NASCAR Foundation, Mike Helton, and the Dale Earnhardt Foundation for donating $5,000.00 each to help kick start the foundation’s efforts to help children who suffer everyday all over the world.

We are asking all our fans to donate a new stuffed animal of their choice to our foundation. We will donate all of the animals to one of the charities we will be working closely with, the Dove House www.Dovehouse.us http://www.dovehouse.us/. The stuffed animals collected will be given to sexually abused children that reach out for help. The animals give the children a sense of hope, love and security. One stuffed animal can make a huge difference in a young child?s life. All animals can be sent to The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation, PO Box 4180, 344 Rolling Hills Rd, Suite 101 Mooresville NC 28117.

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation ? Helping Children in Need anticipates a formal announcement introducing the foundation sometime during the weekend of the Lowe?s Race in October. During the announcement all stuffed animals collected will be given to a representative from the Dove House. Martin is very excited to be moving forward with the foundation and will continue to update ?you? our fans on how you can get 'Hooked on Helping'.

Thank you for all of your support and helping us help children.

Board of Directors 

Martin Truex Jr. – Founder and Chairman

I was born and raised in Mayetta, NJ with my parents and my two siblings. I began my racing career at the age of 10, racing go-karts. When I wasn’t racing, I worked for Sea Watch International, a family owned business. Following in my Dad’s footsteps, I graduated to racing cars in the Busch North Series, while there the staff at Dale Earnhardt Inc. offered me the opportunity to drive in the NASCAR Busch Series. Having won the Busch Series championship in 2004 and 2005, DEI offered me the chance to drive the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. I currently reside on Lake Norman in North Carolina and enjoy outdoor activities when my schedule permits.

Kelly Janow – Chief Operating Officer

I was raised in a small town in New Hampshire and went to college not far from my hometown. I received my Bachelors degree in Corporate Public Relations and worked for my parents for several years at our family owned race track. I always wanted to live in the warm weather and to further my career in the racing industry. I moved to North Carolina and accepted a job for the largest merchandise company in the NASCAR Industry. After working there for a few years, I then took a job with Martin Truex Jr. I started working for Martin 3 years ago; my initial job was running his fan club and website while he was racing in the Busch Series. Now it has evolved into managing the Martin Truex Jr. LLC, supervising the running of the fan club and website in the Nextel Series as well as the Director of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. 

Chad Warpula – Treasurer

I graduated cum laude from Harding University with a Bachelors degree in Public Administration and Psychology. I continued my education at Wake University School of Law, graduating cum laude in 1998.

I became partner with the law firm of Alston & Bird in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialized in intellectual property matters, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, corporate governance, non-profits and sports and entertainment law. My relationship with DEI and Dale and Teresa dates back to 1999, in May of 2006 I became General Counsel at Dale Earnhart, Inc. I have worked with Martin Truex Jr. since he joined DEI as the driver for the Chance II race team where he secured his two Busch Series Championships, and have been involved in setting up the Martin Turex Jr. Foundation.

Richard F. Baker, Jr. – Secretary

I have 25 years of experience in the management of non-profit organization, my work for charitable causes and organization has ranged from the management and philanthropic oversight of major professional sports events to the development of leadership and scholarship programs for a national college education foundation. In 2004, I was named the first Executive Director of The Dale Earnhardt Foundation, and this is my current role today. I am a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Southeastern Council of Foundations.

Sherry Pollex – Board Member

I am originally from Michigan and attended Florida State University where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Sport’s Marketing; I went to work for a Sports Marketing firm in Davidson, North Carolina as a Public Relations manager for MCG Sports. After 4 years as a PR Manager, I accepted a new position as a Brand Manager: initiating innovative ways to bring the company’s image to potential sponsors. After a year in this position at MCG Sports, I began to follow my life long dream of being an independent business owner. I am now the sole owner of the only women’s designer boutique in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Continuing his rapid rise to the top ranks of America’s most competitive motor sport division, Martin won the Busch Series championship in 2004 and 2005. He then moved to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series where he finished the 2006 season 19th in points and come close to his first NEXTEL Cup Victory a number of times, including the season’s final race at Homestead – Miami, where he finished a then career best second.

In 2007, Martin has continued to improve on the track. The driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet won his first Nextel Cup Series race at the Dover International Raceway and has placed himself in position to make the season-ending NEXTEL Chase for the Cup.

His on-track driving abilities, along with his personality, popularity and ability to represent his sponsors in an effective manner, make Martin Truex Jr. the perfect individual to represent your organization.

Personal Statement

“I am really excited to start the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation for Children in Need. Growing up my family didn’t have much, but what we did have was always shared with others where I grew up. My Mom and Dad are great examples of how to give back to the community. I have strived to put myself in that same position and this foundation is my chance to do the same, to support organizations in North Carolina and New Jersey that focus on children.

I’m looking forward to bringing some of these children to the track with me, to be my guest and experience a day at the races. I feel very fortunate to be in the situation I’m in right now, so to be able to do this for them is very special to me. My hope is that me foundation will not only give these children away from the worries in their life, but that we can have a positive impact on the lives forever.”