WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center announced the Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500 today at a press conference at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The event will take place on Saturday Jan. 8, 2005, from 1 until 5 p.m. at the Joel Coliseum.
The Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500 is a community health event that pits the stars of NASCAR® against each other in a fitness and health competition. A live auction and autograph session will follow. General admission is $15, with children under age 2 admitted free. All proceeds will benefit Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
During the event, drivers will compete in a fitness challenge followed by a live racing memorabilia auction and two-hour autograph session. Attendees will be able to participate in health screenings and receive information on a variety of healthcare issues from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, one of the nation’s top academic medical centers.
"These athletes need to be in good shape to be able to race each week," said J. Kevin Bokeno, vice president of marketing and public relations at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. "We are pleased they have chosen to team up with us to promote healthy lifestyles and encourage our community to take care of themselves."
The competition consists of eight teams competing head-to-head in a series of physical fitness challenges, such as push-ups, a shuttle run, and sit-ups, and health screenings. Five teams will be composed of a Nextel® Cup driver, his crew chief, a pit crew member, and an "at large" position. Two teams will be composed of a Busch® Series Driver and a Craftsman® Truck Series driver, respectively, his crew chief, a pit crew member, and an "at large" position. The last team will be composed of three driver’s wives from the Women’s Auxiliary of Motorsports (WAM) and an at-large member.
Drivers/celebrities scheduled to appear include Mike Helton, president of NASCAR®, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Kenny Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Rick Crawford, Jamie McMurray, Brendan Gaughan, Kurt Busch, Ray Evernham, Katie Kenseth, Krissie Newman, Chocolate Myers and Ann Schrader. All driver/celebrity appearances are subject to change.
Tickets for the 2005 Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500 will go on sale Saturday Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. (EDT). Tickets can be purchased at the Joel Coliseum Box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, through local Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 336-722-6400 in Winston-Salem or 336-852-1100 in Greensboro. For more information, call the coliseum box office at 336-725-5635, ext. 350. Event attendees are limited to 8 tickets per person. General admission is $15 for adults, with children under 2 admitted free.
After purchasing a ticket, fans must obtain a wristband in order to attend an autograph session of a driver. Wristbands will be dispersed through a priority system based on the time of ticket purchase and are subject to availability. Wristbands will be distributed beginning at 7 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2005. The schedule for wristband distribution will be released at a later date and can be found on Wake Forest Baptist’s website at www.wfubmc.edu.
Allegacy Federal Credit Union is the marquee sponsor for this event. Other team sponsors include Sara Lee Corporation, Corporate Express, Scope Exchange, and GlaxoSmithKline. Fox 8 is the official television media sponsor of the event.
For more information about Wake Forest Baptist or the Fitness 500, visit our website at www.wfubmc.edu.
# # #
Media Contacts: Rae Beasley (336) 716-6878, rabeasle@wfubmc.edu; Shannon Koontz (336) 716-2415, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu; or Karen Richardson (336) 716-4453, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu.