Indy Racers Carpenter and De Silvestro Make Riley Children’s Hospital Christmas Visit 2011
IndyCar racers Ed Carpenter and Simona de Silvestro spent two hours entertaining patients in The 2nd Annual Racing For Kids/IZOD IndyCar Series Christmas visit to Indianapolis’ Riley Children’s hospital.
The visit started off with a nice surprise. Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Nicole Garside, Director of Licensing, and Drew Boyd Customer Products Coordinator, presented Riley representatives with a $1000 check from recent IMS fundraising efforts.
After the check presentation, the drivers visited more than 60 youngsters in playrooms and bedside visits on several floors. They entertained the young patients by signing autographs, posting for photos and handing out Racing or Kids® bags filled with racing memorabilia – hats, UMP IndyCar calendars & miniature race cars and coloring books.
The drivers were assisted by Humana’s Lissa Starner who made sure each child had a colorful Racing For Kids baseball cap, while public relations specialist Monica Hilton took Racing For Kids photographs. Carpenter’s wife Heather also lent a hand with the visit.
The Riley visit was the last of the 22nd Racing For Kids season. The year featured 20 hospital visits and at track events, including a first time driver visit in Brazil. More than 2000 hospitalized youngsters met IndyCar’s most popular drivers who not only brightened the day for their new “friends,” but contributed directly to their recovery therapy.
More than half of the drivers who started this year’s 100th Indy 500 are Racing For Kids drivers. Carpenter and de Silvestro were typical of this team of racers as they selflessly spent time caring for the needs of hospital youngsters.
