Goodguys' Gary Meadors took to the track in Colorado Springs as part of the
Goodguys/Golden State Foods "Cruisin' to Help Kids" program, a fundraising effort for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Joining the
"Goodguy" in his 1939 Ford convertible are Chuck Browne, GSF's East Coast director, Kirra Savoy - a cancer survivor from Colorado Springs - and Ronald McDonald.
(Photo: Goodguys Rod and Custom Association)Initially, the alliance will benefit the children and families of the Ronald McDonald houses in four Goodguys event host-cities in 2005, with designs on spreading the effort nationwide in 2006. The "Cruisin' to Help Kids" campaign got off to a very successful start at the Goodguys Eighth Colorado Classic in Colorado Springs. The Ronald McDonald House of Colorado Springs brought children out to the event, introducing them to the wonderful world of hot rods and customs.
"I congratulate Goodguys for having the vision to give back to the communities where they host events," said GSF Foundation Executive Director Chuck Browne, himself a longtime hot rodder.
GSF and children from local Ronald McDonald Houses will collect donations at the Fourth Mid-Western Nationals, Sept. 23 to 25 in Kansas City at Kansas Speedway; the 13th Lone Star Nationals, Sept. 30th through Oct. 2 in Ft. Worth at Texas Motor Speedway; and at the 12th Southeastern Nationals, October 28 to 30 in Charlotte, NC at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
At the end of each event, Goodguys and GSF will match dollar-for-dollar the charitable donations collected throughout the weekend and will hold a special check presentation prior to the event awards ceremony. Goodguys and GSF plan to build on this year's program and really get the ball rolling to help the kids for many years to come.
"We are proud to be helping these special children and their families by donating to the Ronald McDonald House Charities and showing them hot rods and custom cars up close," said Goodguys COO Marc Meadors. "We know the Goodguys members and participants will help the kids by donating what they can to support this very worthy cause."
About Ronald McDonald House CharitiesRonald McDonald House Charities' (RMHC) mission is to better the lives of children and their families around the world by creating, finding and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children.The three core programs of RMHC - the Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile - are focused on helping families in need. The Ronald McDonald House program began in 1974 based on a simple idea: Provide a "home away from home" for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Since that time, more than 10 million families around the world have benefited from this program.The Ronald McDonald Family Room program extends the comfort of a Ronald McDonald House to a hospital setting. Typically located just steps from neonatal or pediatric intensive care units, the Family Room provides a place to escape the stress and tension of the hospital.Through relationships with local health care providers, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program brings cost-effective medical, dental and health education services directly to underserved children in both rural and urban areas around the world. 
