Shriners Hospitals for Children® will join David Ragan and Front Row Motorsports (FRM) this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway. Shriners Hospitals for Children will be the primary partner of Ragan and the No. 38 Ford Fusion team.
To bring awareness and celebrate, Ragan will host six-year-old Theodore Koulouris, a patient of the Tampa Shriners Hospital, Saturday. Koulouris was born with a genetic condition, hereditary multiple exostoses (HME), which causes abnormal bone growth. Koulouris and his family sought out the aid of the Tampa Shriners Hospitals for Children for its expertise treatment. The family now describes the hospital as their second home.
Ragan will host Theodore, his family, donors of the Tampa hospital and other Shriners on Saturday. Theodore, a huge NASCAR fan, will meet Ragan and enjoy a VIP experience in the garage, hauler and pre-race activities before Saturday night’s race. Last year, Ragan raced the Shriners Hospitals for Children Ford to a sixth-place finish after leading four laps late in the race.
Ragan has been a member of Shriners International since 2012 and serves as its NASCAR ambassador. He visits Shriners Hospitals during the race season and raises awareness and funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children through various campaigns, public service announcements, donations and activities.
“We came close to winning this race last year with Shriners Hospitals for Children on our car,” said Ragan. “It would be special to win with the Shriners and having Theodore and his family as our guests to celebrate with us.”
The Shriners are no stranger to Daytona Beach and Daytona International Speedway. The Shriners will again host their annual Imperial Session July 15-19 in the city and even use the speedway to host their Walk, Ride or Drive for LOVE event to support Shriners Hospitals for Children. Ragan will again be a part of the activities.
“Imperial Session is the opportunity for all Shriners to come together, and there is no better place than Daytona Beach,” added Ragan. “We bring our Front Row Motorsports Shriners Hospitals for Children Ford Fusion show car to the session and I ride in the parade through the city. It’s a special time and it’s another memory I have of Daytona.”
Shriners Hospitals for Children provides specialized care to children with orthopaedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, burns and cleft lip and palate regardless of the families’ ability to pay.
FRM PR
