SONOMA, Calif. “” The Infineon Raceway Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities will distribute $501,497 to 55 qualified youth organizations in Sonoma County for the 2006 season. This marks the second consecutive year the Infineon Raceway Chapter has topped the $500,000 mark “” it distributed a one-year record of $554,045 in 2005. Moreover, the chapter has distributed more than $2.1 million since 2002 to Sonoma County youth groups. The chapter’s Board of Trustees recently approved the distribution of funds at its annual meeting. Speedway Children’s Charities is the primary charitable arm of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns and operates Infineon Raceway. “The folks at the track are tireless fundraisers, and countless non-profit organizations get to reap the benefits of their efforts. It is such a blessing for the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance to be one of the recipients they ‘invest’ in,” said Kathy Witkowicki, executive director of the Mentoring Alliance. “We feel really fortunate to partner with (raceway president) Steve Page and his incredible staff.” The monies awarded in 2006 were generated through a combination of Infineon Raceway events, as well as $100,000 raised from the premiere of the Disney/Pixar animated film Cars at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Other top fundraisers for the year were the Raceway Builders Grand Marshall’s Banquet and the Race & Rock Charity Auction, which combined to raise more than $131,000. Both were held during the raceway’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend in June. In all, the chapter hosted nine events in 2006, primarily tied to the raceway’s motor racing events. The chapter also received a donation from Sonic Automotive Corporation. The chapter was also the beneficiary of funds generated from the Classic Sports Racing Group’s (CSRG) Charity Challenge and 3J’s Motorcycle Track Days at Infineon Raceway. CSRG donated more than $90,000 to the Sonoma Chapter this year, while 3J’s generated $25,000. Speedway Children’s Charities is a non-profit organization with the purpose of raising funds to be distributed to qualified children’s organizations. Founded in 1984 by Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., Speedway Children’s Charities originated at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Fifty-five youth groups will receive funding from Speedway Children’s Charities in 2006: ANOVA Center for Education; Bob Burke’s Kids; Boy Scouts of America Redwood Empire Council; Boys & Girls Clubs of Petaluma; California Parenting Institute; Canine Companions for Independence; Catholic Charities Diocese of Santa Rosa; Climate Protection Campaign; Committee on the Shelterless; Community Action Partnership; Court Appointed Special Advocates; Giant Steps Therapeutic Equestrian Center; Grandparents Parenting Again; Girls Scouts of Konocti Council; Humane Society of Sonoma County; Kenwood Education Foundation; KRCB Public Radio; La Luz Center; Matrix Parent Network; McDowell Drug Task Force; Northern California Center for Well Being; Old Adobe School; Operation Youth of Sonoma Valley; Petaluma Education Foundation; Petaluma People Services Center; Redwood Empire Food Bank; Roseland University Prep; Routes For Youth; Santa Rosa Symphony; Social Advocates for Youth; Sonoma Children’s Cancer Foundation; Sonoma Community Center; Sonoma County Adult and Youth Development; Sonoma County Public Library Foundation; Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation; Sonoma Ecology Center; Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (5); Sonoma Valley High School Boosters Club; Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance; Sonoma Valley Soroptimist Foundation; The Living Room; The Salvation Army; Valley of the Moon Boys & Girls Club; Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation; Valley of the Moon Aquatics; Valley of the Moon Teen Center; Volunteer Center of Sonoma County; Wells Fargo Center for the Arts; Willmar Center for Bereaved Children; YWCA of Sonoma County. “The grants that our schools have received from Speedway Children’s Charities over the past several years have made a huge impact for our students,” said Tim Boeve, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation. “This source of revenue, stemming primarily from the events at Infineon Raceway, has been a tremendous boon for strengthening education in our Valley’s public schools.” For more information on the Sonoma Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, email Denise Silver at [email protected].