KEVIN HARVICK AND CAL RIPKEN, SR. FOUNDATIONS PARTNER TO BUILD “FIELD OF DREAMS”

October 08, 2014

Oak Ridge, N.C. (October 8, 2014) -- The Kevin Harvick Foundation and Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation are teaming up to provide the Greensboro Boys & Girls Club with a “field of dreams” for generations to come.

The Kevin Harvick Foundation, established in 2010 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and his wife, DeLana, is funding the construction of the Kevin Harvick Youth Development Park in Greensboro, N.C. The multi-purpose sports complex, scheduled to open in 2015, marks the 40th facility built by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation for use by Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. The park, to be located in an underserved community, features a synthetic-surface, outdoor field suitable for soccer, baseball, flag football and lacrosse.

The Greensboro project represents the first collaboration between the two foundations, and is the result of a partnership between Harvick and baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. The Kevin Harvick Foundation assists in funding the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, as the two charitable organizations share the common goal of supporting underprivileged youth across the United States in various ways.

“The Kevin Harvick Foundation is honored to help further the legacy of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation in our own backyard in Greensboro,” Kevin Harvick said. “Years ago, DeLana and I made helping underprivileged children a priority, and the Ripken family is of the same mindset. Whether in the NASCAR or baseball community, much of what we do revolves around our passion for children. I can’t thank Mark Butler (Chairman of the Board of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and President and CEO of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet) enough for introducing Cal Jr. and me. Ours has been a great partnership in a number of ways, and this is only the beginning.”

The Harvicks and Ripken Jr. announced plans for the Kevin Harvick Youth Development Park during a private dinner and silent auction hosted by the Kevin Harvick Foundation on Tuesday.

“I am thrilled that Kevin (Harvick) has decided to join our board of directors and get so involved with the foundation,” Ripken Jr. said. “His commitment to children and to his community is fantastic, and I am excited to work with him in the years ahead. Kevin is not only a tremendous athlete, but he uses the platform that racing has provided him to give back in a real and significant way.”

The dinner kicked off a two-day fundraising event that culminates with Wednesday’s Fifth Annual John Paul Linville Memorial Golf Classic. Proceeds from the dinner, silent auction and golf tournament, held at Greensboro’s Sedgefield Country Club, home of the PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Championship, benefit both foundations in the park’s construction. The dinner and tournament were made possible with the support of BB&T Wealth, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Outback Steakhouse, FOX Sports 1, Sprint, Hunt Brothers Pizza and TCDi. 

Linville was DeLana’s father, a Kernersville, N.C., native who lost his battle with cancer in 2005 and serves as the inspiration for the tournament and the Foundation’s spirit of servitude. A NASCAR driver and avid golfer, Linville played an active role in charity golf tournaments for years.

During and after construction, the Boys & Girls Club will work with the two organizations to achieve goals such as keeping kids healthy and safe while creating an environment of discipline, self-respect and success, in addition to aiding in the academic, athletic and social success of youth.

About Kevin Harvick Foundation:
Established in 2010 by Harvick and his wife, DeLana, the mission of the Kevin Harvick Foundation (KHF) is to support programs that enrich the lives of children throughout the United States. The Foundation works to not only improve the quality of life, but to help underprivileged youth find and realize their dreams by supporting programs such as the Kevin Harvick Athletic Scholarship Fund at California State University-Bakersfield and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a camper cabin at Victory Junction Gang Camp and Boys & Girls Clubs.

About the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation:
The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation uses baseball- and softball-themed programs to help build character and teach critical life lessons to underserved youth residing in America’s most distressed communities. Founded in 2001 by members of the Ripken family in memory of their patriarch, Cal, Sr., the Foundation works to create programs that positively impact at-risk youth through active community partnerships with America’s most successful youth service organizations. The Ripken Foundation uses the baseball and softball field to help teach life’s critical lessons such as perseverance, loyalty, nutrition, hard work and leadership to young people residing in disadvantaged communities. The Foundation is also designing and building Youth Development Parks, multi-purpose, synthetic surface fields in underserved communities to give kids a clean and safe place to play and learn. The Ripken Foundation has impacted over 1 million kids nationwide through its Youth Development Park and Badges for Baseball programming.