Lime Rock Park Joins Drive to End Hunger

Lime Rock Park, the historic racetrack located in Lime Rock, CT has announced its selection of AARP Foundation as its 2014 official charity to support Drive to End Hunger, a multi-year initiative to fight the risk of hunger for Americans age 50+.

Nearly 9 million Americans age 50+ are at risk for hunger every day – a 79 percent increase in just 10 years.  Drive to End Hunger is AARP Foundation’s multi-pronged approach to solve this problem; it works to combat hunger among people 50 and older through raising awareness – especially through its relationship with Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports – as well as building philanthropic support and developing long-term, sustainable solutions.

Lime Rock Park President Skip Barber announced “a very ambitious, yet reachable goal” of raising $96,000 – $24,000 for each of Gordon’s four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships. In the coming weeks, Lime Rock Park and AARP Foundation will release information on exciting events and opportunities for Lime Rock fans to get involved and help reach the goal.

“Too many Americans struggle to put food on the table every day across the country and right here in Lime Rock Park’s tri-state community,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation president. “We are proud and honored to be working with Lime Rock Park for the 2014 season and will keep working to achieve the real possibility of giving people the freedom from worrying about where their next meal might come from.”

“In a country as great as ours, no older person should go hungry. That’s why I’m working with AARP Foundation, because this is a problem we can solve,” Gordon, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, says. “While I haven’t been to Lime Rock Park yet, but I’m sure their fans and that community will join me in supporting this great cause. I’m very excited about this partnership and what our combined efforts can do to help those in need.”

Barber said, “Jeff and the Drive to End Hunger team have been fantastic to work with. We’re really looking forward to launching this effort. Did you know he’s one of my ‘star pupils’? In 1990, already a sprint car star in the Midwest, Jeff did the Skip Barber Three Day School at Road America. The three instructors all told me that Jeff was humble, attentive – and instantly lightning quick. They had never seen anyone so precise, so able to take feedback and immediately and repeatedly apply it.

“Well, now it’s our turn to be fast for him. I want to reach Lime Rock’s goal before the year is out.”

Check back at  www.LimeRock.com for updates on this season’s activities with Drive to End Hunger.  To learn more, please visit  www.DriveToEndHunger.org or follow @Drive2EndHunger on Twitter.