As Fire Hero Families gather in Emmitsburg for the 41st Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, Whelen Engineering and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) have teamed up with National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to honor these fallen fire heroes at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on October 8, 2022, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
RCR’s No. 2 Whelen Camaro has debuted a special paint scheme featuring every firefighter on the 2022 NFFF Roll of Honor. “I’m extremely honored to carry the names of firefighters lost in the line of duty on the deck lid of my car,” said RCR’s No. 2 driver, Sheldon Creed. “I’ve always loved showing appreciation for first responders in any way I can, and this collaboration with Whelen and NFFF is an especially meaningful way to honor their sacrifice.”
Saturday’s race is taking place during the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, which is the official national tribute to firefighters who die in the line of duty. “We’re humbled that the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet carries the names of the 148 fallen firefighters we’re honoring at the national ceremony. This is an amazing tribute and a fitting way for the families of the fallen to know their loved ones are being honored and remembered during Saturday’s race,” he continued. “We’re grateful for Whelen’s support of our mission to help the families and colleagues of America’s fallen firefighters.
This salute to fallen firefighters holds special meaning for many of Whelen’s employees too. “Supporting first responders and their causes is an important part of our company culture since many of our employees are first responders themselves,” said Whelen Engineering’s Matt Kehoe. “We share a mission with NFFF to remember America’s fallen firefighters, and we’re honored to bring support and awareness to this important Foundation and this national ceremony.”
The collaboration also gives the community and racing fans a chance to help support NFFF’s work via a “text to donate” option. This mobile component bolsters NFFF’s mission to support the families of fallen firefighters and to work within the fire service community to prevent firefighter death and injury. Contributions can be made by texting the word FIREHERO to 44-321.
