Foundation Friday seeks to spotlight how NASCAR drivers are giving back through their personal foundations. Each week, a different driver and their foundation will be highlighted including who they are helping, notable accomplishments, and how you can get involved in their efforts.
The Kyle Larson Foundation
The Kyle Larson Foundation was created with the intent of “bringing people together and providing support to hands-on charitable organizations that benefit today’s youth, families, and communities in need.”
This broad focus has allowed Larson to help where and how he sees fit as he grows as a NASCAR driver and person.
With this in mind, Larson and his wife, Katelyn, have partnered with three specific organizations since its inception in 2021.
The Sanneh Foundation
The focus of Sanneh is educational attainment in the Twin Cities metro area. The organization works to improve lives by providing programs that strengthen physical health, as well as social and emotional development, and unite communities by advancing diversity, equity, and community well-being.
Urban Youth Racing School
The Urban Youth Racing School, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focuses on STEM education and careers through educational initiatives and mentoring.
Their programs include engine building, remote piloted vehicles, and Build a Dream where students create a real race team!
The mission statement reads: The mission of UYSA Center of Excellence is to provide urban youth with exposure to an educational initiative that will engage them in STEM in a more holistic way by teaching them how to think critically and independently through preparing them to embrace the depths of all academic subjects for obtaining the skills necessary for successful STEM careers.
Hendrick Cares
The Hendrick Automotive Group gives back to communities in a number of ways through Hendrick Cares. The focus is caring for others and a commitment to teamwork.Â
In 2021, the Hendrick Cares program provided communities with:
- 230,000 individual holiday meals
- $1 million to food banks
- 5,545,000Â pounds of food
- $100,000 for STEM education needs
DRIVE FOR 5
Ultimately, the DRIVE FOR 5 campaign is the overarching backbone of Larson’s foundation. This links his successes on track to giving back through the organizations he has partnered with.
Personally, Larson has pledged to commit “$5 per lap raced and $5,000 per top-5 finish he earns during the NASCAR Cup Series regular season toward the DRIVE FOR 5 campaign.”
Annually, Larson offers up to five UYRS scholarships, while five communities are benefitted through school grants provided by Hendrick Cares.
Daily, he provides meals for up to five families through Sanneh.Â
In Larson’s first year of the DRIVE FOR 5 program, he raised approximately $15,000. Soon after the launch, he shared, “I’m excited to get out there and compete. The better I do, the more money we’ll raise!”Â
Certainly, he continues to “do good things through it,” as he hoped he would in the early days of the KLF.
To date, Larson has raised over $400,000 from donations.Â
Partner with Kyle & Keep Informed
Finally, those interested in partnering with Larson and his Drive for 5 program can do so through his campaign page. Additionally, fans can keep up to date with his efforts via his website.
