Tue, Feb 2, 2010 04:13 PM CST
Back in September, The RAACE Foundations Founder - Kenneth Smith realized that if The RAACE Foundation was going to be successful in 2010 and beyond that something different had to be done. Yes, in just five short years The RAACE Foundation went from an idea about raising awareness of child sexual abuse to a national 501(c)3 charity with over 37 race teams, 1 tri-athlete, an LPGA golfer and many other drivers, athletes and teams, businesses, professionals, organizations, ministries and individuals from coast to coast and border to border working hard to eliminate child sexual abuse. But unfortunately funding the program has been difficult at best and not getting any easier.
Key to these strategic planning sessions was the need to figure out a way to not only raise the funds necessary to go around the country creating awareness at large venues, organizational stability and funding the many pieces of awareness materials, but to create something that would be instrumental in making those in attendance slow down long enough to learn the realities of child sexual abuse and at the same time create the press and public relations articles that The RAACE Foundation and The Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere surely needs.
So, in December the parts and pieces started to arrive from California. Founder Kenneth Smith and volunteers Steve Smith, Sr., Korey Smith, Kyle Leavitt, Ron Frick, Joe Gutberlet, and others as well as TeamRAACE members Stevie Smith and Brian Leppo began construction and assembly of the "Time to Talk" Awareness Station.
The giant wheel as it became known is 22 feet tall and over 18 feet wide with a spinning gaming wheel of 14 feet inside. Some joked that it looked like "The Stargate", others said it was over the top and even a few said it would never spin. Various display fixtures and an 18 foot gaming table make up the rest of the "Time to Talk" display. One thing is for sure it definitely creates a family atmosphere like a Wildwood, NJ Boardwalk honky-tonk game of chance should. According to Founder Kenneth Smith: "Listening to Director of Development Brad Brickel and volunteer Mike McCreary bark the commands of the wheel and engage the crowds standing around watching you can tell that everyone within ear shot is having a lot of fun!"
Why "Time to Talk"? Simply put with 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys being sexually abused before the age of 18, with over 39 million survivors and with experts agreeing that open and honest dialogue is the greatest advantage against child sexual abuse, it is definitely Time to Talk about child sexual abuse.
Awareness and education are the two things that can slow down this epidemic. Not building more treatment centers, not putting more kids into foster care, and with only one in ten kids telling of their abuse it is definitely not the child who will tell. We need to turn the faucet off and that happens before the abuse ever occurs.
Kenneth Smith, Founder of The RAACE Foundation continued: "The Wheel was a huge success at Motorsports 2010, not only did the sale of the sponsor spaces allow The RAACE Foundation to have the funds to put awareness materials in the hands of all 40,000+ show attendees, but it got them to stop and ask some serious questions, like what is this giant wheel all about. In the process show attendees had loads of fun playing the wheel and winning prizes while The RAACE Foundation and TeamRAACE volunteers were able to educate fans so no other child has to suffer the same silent fate."
The "Time to Talk" Awareness Station will make its next appearance at The Timonium Motorcycle Show at The Cow Palace on The Maryland State Fairgrounds over the Valentines Day weekend, February 12th, 13th and 14th 2010. If you would like to personally underwrite a spot on the wheel or if your company would like to sponsor a space on the wheel please contact Kenneth Smith, Brad Brickel or Vickie Brooks at 410.893.1001 or email us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. For more information about The RAACE Foundation, please visit www.raace.org.
Tue, Feb 2, 2010 04:13 PM CST
Back in September, The RAACE Foundations Founder - Kenneth Smith realized that if The RAACE Foundation was going to be successful in 2010 and beyond that something different had to be done. Yes, in just five short years The RAACE Foundation went from an idea about raising awareness of child sexual abuse to a national 501(c)3 charity with over 37 race teams, 1 tri-athlete, an LPGA golfer and many other drivers, athletes and teams, businesses, professionals, organizations, ministries and individuals from coast to coast and border to border working hard to eliminate child sexual abuse. But unfortunately funding the program has been difficult at best and not getting any easier.
Key to these strategic planning sessions was the need to figure out a way to not only raise the funds necessary to go around the country creating awareness at large venues, organizational stability and funding the many pieces of awareness materials, but to create something that would be instrumental in making those in attendance slow down long enough to learn the realities of child sexual abuse and at the same time create the press and public relations articles that The RAACE Foundation and The Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere surely needs.
So, in December the parts and pieces started to arrive from California. Founder Kenneth Smith and volunteers Steve Smith, Sr., Korey Smith, Kyle Leavitt, Ron Frick, Joe Gutberlet, and others as well as TeamRAACE members Stevie Smith and Brian Leppo began construction and assembly of the "Time to Talk" Awareness Station.
The giant wheel as it became known is 22 feet tall and over 18 feet wide with a spinning gaming wheel of 14 feet inside. Some joked that it looked like "The Stargate", others said it was over the top and even a few said it would never spin. Various display fixtures and an 18 foot gaming table make up the rest of the "Time to Talk" display. One thing is for sure it definitely creates a family atmosphere like a Wildwood, NJ Boardwalk honky-tonk game of chance should. According to Founder Kenneth Smith: "Listening to Director of Development Brad Brickel and volunteer Mike McCreary bark the commands of the wheel and engage the crowds standing around watching you can tell that everyone within ear shot is having a lot of fun!"
Why "Time to Talk"? Simply put with 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys being sexually abused before the age of 18, with over 39 million survivors and with experts agreeing that open and honest dialogue is the greatest advantage against child sexual abuse, it is definitely Time to Talk about child sexual abuse.
Awareness and education are the two things that can slow down this epidemic. Not building more treatment centers, not putting more kids into foster care, and with only one in ten kids telling of their abuse it is definitely not the child who will tell. We need to turn the faucet off and that happens before the abuse ever occurs.
Kenneth Smith, Founder of The RAACE Foundation continued: "The Wheel was a huge success at Motorsports 2010, not only did the sale of the sponsor spaces allow The RAACE Foundation to have the funds to put awareness materials in the hands of all 40,000+ show attendees, but it got them to stop and ask some serious questions, like what is this giant wheel all about. In the process show attendees had loads of fun playing the wheel and winning prizes while The RAACE Foundation and TeamRAACE volunteers were able to educate fans so no other child has to suffer the same silent fate."
The "Time to Talk" Awareness Station will make its next appearance at The Timonium Motorcycle Show at The Cow Palace on The Maryland State Fairgrounds over the Valentines Day weekend, February 12th, 13th and 14th 2010. If you would like to personally underwrite a spot on the wheel or if your company would like to sponsor a space on the wheel please contact Kenneth Smith, Brad Brickel or Vickie Brooks at 410.893.1001 or email us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. For more information about The RAACE Foundation, please visit www.raace.org.
