Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500

Pocono Raceway, Sunoco, and the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Chapter have teamed up for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 on August 3, to benefit Red Cross Chapters in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

 “This is the first time since 1997 Pocono Raceway has changed the name of the race – Pocono Raceway admires and respects the work of the Red Cross and wanted to help support its mission and the great work they do for families in Pennsylvania,” stated Brandon Igdalsky, President of Pocono Raceway.

“It is a tremendous privilege to have the famed Pennsylvania 500 named in our honor this year,” said Red Cross SEPA Chapter CEO Tom Foley.  “Sunoco has been a valued corporate partner to the Red Cross for many years, and through their generosity and the generosity of Pocono Raceway and the Mattioli family, we hope to use this event to generate much-needed funds for disaster relief and Red Cross House.”

"Sunoco is pleased to support this important initiative," said Bob Owens, Senior Vice President of Sunoco, Inc. "Whether it's providing local disaster relief, offering skills training in the areas of health and safety, or running blood drives, the Red Cross provides valuable services to the community. We know NASCAR fans will join us in this effort and support the work of the Red Cross."

As part of this partnership, Pocono Raceway is donating ten percent of the ticket revenue generated by online ticket buyers who use the Red Cross promo code, REDCROSS, to American Red Cross Chapters in the tri-state area.  The first 1,500 ticket buyers using the Red Cross promo code also receive a free pre-race Pit/Paddock Pass ($50 value) and Souvenir Program Book and Commemorative Die Cast Car ($15 Value) as an added incentive. Tickets can be purchased at www.poconoraceway.com or by calling 1-800-RACEWAY.

In addition, Pocono Raceway is also featuring a donation collection on its website, as well as providing the SEPA Chapter with the opportunity to collect donations at the race.  Pocono Raceway is also donating to the SEPA Chapter a portion of the proceeds from the Official Starting Line-Up t-shirt.    

The Red Cross is also receiving a percent of the proceeds from the walker fees for the Track Walk, hosted by The NASCAR Foundation, on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. Fans can register to participate in the Track Walk at www.nascar.com/foundation and walk beside Celebrity Track Walker Kasey Kahne. The NASCAR Foundation is also hosting an online auction, on www.nascar.com/foundation, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Red Cross House. Auction items include Sunoco Victory flags and a race helmet autographed by 35 Chicagoland Race drivers, a Sunoco Racing fuel can, a Pace Car ride for two people before the start of the race on Sunday, a parade lap for one in a racecar before the race and a Super VIP experience to include 4 skybox tickets valued at $2,000, food and beverage, pit pass, all three-day access, VIP tour given by a Track Ambassador, and the ability to stand on stage and meet the drivers during the official driver introductions.    

Sunoco is providing marketing and promotional support to the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 with signage at over 900 Sunoco retail locations throughout the region. Sunoco is also highlighting the event on their new website, www.gosunoco.com, and providing a link to the Pocono Raceway’s ticket sales site to encourage fans to enter the promo code and help raise money for the Red Cross.

In addition to marketing efforts, Pocono Raceway and Sunoco are providing an exciting day at the races for 200 Red Cross Club members and victims of area disasters who have stayed at the SEPA Chapter’s Red Cross House. These participants are receiving free tickets and transportation to the ARCA RE/MAX Series Pennsylvania 200 race on Saturday, August 2, 2008.

A corporate partner of the Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter for many years, Sunoco also provides free gasoline for the Chapter’s emergency response vehicles to help reduce the cost of local disaster relief operations. 

Proceeds going to the SEPA Chapter will benefit Red Cross House, a short-term residence in West Philadelphia where hundreds of local families every year begin their recovery from fires, floods and other disasters affecting their lives.

ABOUT POCONO RACEWAY- Pocono Raceway is host to two NASCAR Sprint Cup events each year, the Pocono 500 Weekend, in early June and the Pennsylvania 500 Weekend, the first week in August.  In addition to the NASCAR Sprint Cup races, Pocono Raceway also hosts the ARCA RE/MAX Series stars on the Saturday of those same weekends.  Pocono Raceway, known as “The Tricky Triangle”, is unique in the racing world due to its three turns vs. four at most other tracks.  This layout makes for some unique feats by not only drivers, but also the crews that set up the cars. In business for 50 years, Pocono Raceway is a family owned raceway located in the heart of the beautiful Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania. Located an easy drive from both Philadelphia and New York makes Pocono Raceway an attractive option for race fans. 

ABOUT SUNOCO - Sunoco, Inc., headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of petroleum and petrochemical products. With 910,000 barrels per day of refining capacity, nearly 4,700 retail sites selling gasoline and convenience items, approximately 5,500 miles of crude oil and refined product owned and operated pipelines and 38 product terminals, Sunoco is one of the largest independent refiner-marketers in the United States. Sunoco is a significant manufacturer of petrochemicals with annual sales of approximately five billion pounds, largely chemical intermediates used to make fibers, plastics, film and resins. Using a unique, patented technology, Sunoco's cokemaking facilities in the United States have the capacity to manufacture over 2.5 million tons annually of high-quality metallurgical-grade coke for use in the steel industry. Sunoco also is the operator of, and has an equity interest in, a 1.7 million tons-per-year cokemaking facility in Vitoria, Brazil.

ABOUT AMERICAN RED CROSS SEPA CHAPTER – The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.  The Red Cross is not a government agency.  All Red Cross disaster assistance is free of charge and made possible thanks to the generosity of people in our region who donate their time, money and blood.  Last year, the SEPA Chapter responded to 905 disasters (834 were fires); Operated 18 disaster shelters; Housed 1,184 people, including 450 children at Red Cross House; Provided 3,253 Armed Forces Emergency Services to 1,901 military families; Trained and certified 111,739 people in lifesaving techniques; Reached 836,974 people with Red Cross educational outreach; Donated 69,853 volunteer hours to help collect 99,853 pints of blood; Traced 19 Holocaust cases; Graduated 259 nurse aides; Recruited and trained 7,664 volunteers at the SEPA Chapter; Operated 20 Red Cross Clubs in the region; and Supported Lifeline personal emergency response for 1,974 vulnerable older adults.