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Speedway has supported The Food Bank and hunger-relief partner Hickory County C.A.R.E.S. for 10 years

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Lucas Oil Speedway, KOLR 10, KOZL 27 and Ozarks Fox are partnering to offer free admission to the races in Wheatland on Saturday, July 25 when race-goers donate four nonperishable food items for Ozarks Food Harvest.

Donations for admission will be collected the night of the race near an Ozarks Food Harvest truck at the main gate. Donors will receive one free ticket for every four nonperishable food items given. Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps begin at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at 7:05 p.m. Food donations will also support Ozarks Food Harvest’s partner food pantry in Wheatland, Hickory County C.A.R.E.S.

“We want to thank the fans from last year for their generosity. We are looking forward to seeing everybody and hope to surpass last year’s total for the pantry,” said Judy Gamble, social media coordinator for Hickory County C.A.R.E.S.

Since 2008, Lucas Oil Speedway has collected more than 65,000 pounds of food to help provide 55,000 meals for Ozarks Food Harvest.

Last year, event attendees donated nearly 7,000 pounds of food, which helped provide 5,600 meals to hungry children, families and seniors in the Ozarks. This year, Lucas Oil Speedway hopes to collect even more food to help feed the 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 5 children facing hunger in the Ozarks.

“We’re excited and thankful that Lucas Oil Speedway has opened back up and is able to partner with us for this event once again,” said Denise Gibson, director of development and communication at Ozarks Food Harvest. “This food drive means a lot to us, since it’s one of our biggest one-day food drives each year, and it’s a great way for families to enjoy some time together during the summer.”

The speedway is located at 700 E. Highway 54 in Wheatland, and directions can be found at lucasoilspeedway.com. Regular admission is $12 for adults ages 16 and up, $9 for military and seniors (ages 62 and up) and $5 for youth ages 6 to 15. A list of most-needed items can be found on The Food Bank’s website at ozarksfoodharvest.org/fooddrive.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, providing food to 270 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties serving 261,000 unduplicated individuals. The Food Bank provides more than 22 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.