Sonoma Raceway Distributes More Than 7,300 Pounds of Food to Area Food Banks SONOMA, Calif. (Nov. 26, 2013) – Sonoma Raceway is at full speed this holiday season, distributing more than 7,000 pounds of non-perishable food to Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) and the Napa Valley Food Bank following the raceway’s 13th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. In total, the raceway distributed 7,377 pounds of food this year, bringing the 13-year total to more than 54,077 pounds of non-perishable food items for area food banks. In addition, the raceway also collected more than $1,250 in cash donations for FISH. “This will help us put together our holiday food baskets for more than 400 families,” said Sherman Bielfeldt, FISH volunteer. “This makes such a positive impact for these folks. And, to those who give, I can’t thank them enough. We appreciate it so much.” FISH (www.friendsinsonomahelping.org) has been helping Sonoma Valley residents in need since 1970 and provides not only food, but clothing, transportation and emergency rental assistance. The Napa Valley Food Bank (www.canv.org) serves over 40 non-profit agencies county-wide. In 2012, they served 10,830 individuals 92,926 allotments of food, 38% of which were children. Napa Valley Food Bank continues to feed the hungry, encourage self-sufficiency and assist the elderly in living independently. “Community support means so much when the need is great. We are no longer serving people who have ‘emergency situations,’ rather daily, monthly survival has become a chronic need,” said Shirley King, director of the Napa Valley Food Bank, a program of Community Action Napa Valley. “We truly appreciate people being mindful that not everyone can meet their basic need for food.” Sonoma Raceway was not alone in its efforts. It was joined in the food drive by Destination RKA in Windsor; Innerstave; Levy Restaurants; the National Auto Sport Association; Pedroncelli Motorsports; the Simraceway Performance Driving Center; Save Mart Supermarkets; Sonoma Market and Glen Ellen Village Market; Sonoma Raceway Ambassador Program; support from Sonoma Raceway’s Wednesday Night Drags and Sonoma Drift programs and verihealth Inc. Sonoma Gourmet also made a generous donation of gourmet food items. For more information about Sonoma Raceway community events, call 800-870-RACE (7223) or visit RaceSonoma.com.