HOMESTEAD-MIAMI

CONTACT:

Leon Fooksman/Jeff Bray

O’Connell & Goldberg

(954) 964-9098 / cell: (954) 599-7613                                 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 “HOT RODS & REELS™”

CHARITY FISHING TOURNAMENT TO FEATURE NASCAR DRIVERS & FANS COMPETING FOR A MILLION DOLLARS

Proceeds of Championship Weekend Event at Homestead-Miami Speedway

to Benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation

DAVIE, Fla. – (Nov. 6, 2008) – Fishing for a cause – “Hot Rods & Reels™,” which benefits the Darrell Gwynn Foundation – returns to the infield lake at Homestead-Miami Speedway at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15.

The annual Miccosukee Resort & Gaming “Hot Rods & Reels™” NASCAR drivers’ charity fishing tournament will be staged on the Speedway’s 18-acre infield lake stocked with peacock bass.  A hugely successful event since it first launched at Homestead-Miami Speedway seven years ago, “Hot Rods & Reels™” provides a unique combination of fun and excitement – fishing for trophy bass alongside NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and other racing celebrities as well as a chance to win “The Miccosukee Million”. 

The angler who catches the largest bass will select one of 250 envelopes, one of which contains $1 million from Miccosukee Resort & Gaming.

“Hot Rods & Reels™” attracts some of the biggest names in NASCAR, including drivers, owners and TV personalities.  Among the NASCAR drivers and celebrities scheduled to participate in this year’s tournament are Martin Truex, Ryan Newman, team owner Richard Childress, Tony Stewart, Darrell Waltrip and many others.

            “We are thrilled to be back at Homestead-Miami Speedway for our seventh ‘Hot Rods & Reels™’ fishing tournament.  What an exciting way to cap off the 2008 NASCAR season,” said Darrell Gwynn, president of the Darrell Gwynn Foundation (DGF) and event founder.

The tournament is a fundraiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, which uses proceeds to purchase custom wheelchairs for children and young adults suffering from spinal cord injuries or debilitating diseases.  A portion of the proceeds also is donated to the “Speediatrics” unit at Homestead Hospital.  The special unit, which is brightly decked out in a racing theme, helps children and families feel more comfortable amid beeping medical equipment and the constant parade of doctors and nurses

“The tournament is a terrific opportunity for fans and sponsors to fish with a NASCAR pro and enjoy the thrill of a lifetime,” Gwynn notes.  “My deepest thanks to the Miccosukee Resorts & Gaming, Homestead-Miami Speedway, our sponsors and all the celebrity participants who make this such a special event.”

The Miccosukee Resort & Gaming “Hot Rods & Reels™” tournament is the culmination of Florida Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week, a Darrell Gwynn Foundation initiative.  Events throughout The Week (Nov. 10-16) help educate Floridians about common ways spinal cord injuries occur and how they might be prevented. 

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The Darrell Gwynn Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to preventing paralysis, providing support for individual’s living with paralysis and ultimately finding a cure for paralysis.  To expedite specific cures, the Foundation assists in the funding of targeted research.

Florida Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week is being observed November 10-16, 2008.  Spurred by the Foundation, the Florida Legislature began recognizing Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week in 2006 and re-adopted The Week in 2007 and 2008.  Florida is the first, and only, state to officially observe Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week. The Foundation places public service announcements on radio, sends paraplegic and quadriplegic speakers into high schools, donates wheelchairs to children and young adults, and takes other actions to reduce spinal cord injuries during The Week in addition to its year-round activities and programs.

The Betty Jane France Pediatric Center “Speediatrics®” at Homestead Hospital and Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach is a pediatrics unit designed with a motorsports theme thanks to the vision of Betty Jane France, NASCAR Foundation chairwoman and founder of Speediatrics.  Speediatrics’ cheerful atmosphere can make a difference in the spirit and recovery of sick children as documented at the Halifax Medical Center, which launched the first unit in 1999 with the backing of Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR.

Joining Miccosukee Resort & Gaming in sponsoring this event are Bass Pro Shops, Sprint, Hook & Tackle, Bass Online, Plano and Triumph Headwear.  For more information on registration or sponsorship, visit www.hotrodsandreels.com or call 954-792-7223 ext. 112.

Till next time tight lines and good fishing….

From Staff and Wire Reports

BassOnline.com