About the Ryan Newman Foundation

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie, established the Ryan Newman Foundation in January 2005. The mission of the foundation is to educate and encourage people to spay/neuter their pets and to adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters; to educate children and adults about the importance of conservation so the beauty of the great outdoors can be appreciated by future generations; and to provide college scholarship funding through the Rich Vogler Scholarship program to students interested in auto racing careers. The Ryan Newman Foundation is proud to be part of the NASCAR Foundation’s family of charities.

National Spay Neuter Response Team

Ryan and Krissie Newman are spokespeople for the Humane Alliance’s National Spay Neuter Response Team (NSNRT). The NSNRT operates much like a NASCAR pit crew; sending groups of trained vets and veterinary technicians to help nonprofit organizations learn how to open spay/neuter clinics using the Humane Alliance model.

Through the NSNRT initiative, which began in 2005, the Humane Alliance’s team of facilitators has mentored 55 organizations across the nation to successfully implement its high volume, high quality spay/neuter model. More than 200,000 companion animals have been surgically sterilized at these clinics in just a few years.

The Humane Alliance trains 15 organizations annually, and expect to have trained 120 organizations by 2014 to open and operate high volume, high quality spay/neuter clinics. Currently a total of 34 other organizations are seeking admittance to this highly specialized training program. These nonprofit spay/neuter clinics will partner with hundreds of local animal shelters and rescue groups in their regions across the nation.

Why is spaying/neutering pet so important to the Ryan Newman Foundation?

Spaying and neutering is the only way to permanently curb the proliferation of millions of unwanted and abandoned animals each year in the United States. Sadly, U. S. shelters have to euthanize an estimated 3-4 million cats and dogs each year simply because there are not enough homes for all the abandoned dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. Spay/neuter humanely reduces the number of healthy, homeless pets who are euthanized. For example, the Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina non-profit high volume, high quality, affordable spay/neuter clinic located in Asheville. Since its inception 15 years ago, the Humane Alliance clinic has sterilized 195,000 companion animals and reduced the euthanasia rate in the Asheville community by an astounding 72 percent. Spay/neuter saves lives!

Hurricane Katrina

In September 2005, a month after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, Krissie Newman volunteered alongside several Ryan Newman Motorsports employees. The group traveled to Gulfport, Mississippi with a busload of supplies for people and their pets and a tractor trailer load of pet food donated by Purina. The group spent a week traveling to New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and Slidell, Louisiana to distribute the supplies and food to Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Ryan Newman Foundation also donated $19,000 in grants to nonprofit animal welfare organizations that were rescuing abandoned animals and helping families with pets. When Krissie Newman returned to the Gulf Coast in July 2006 to welcome the Big Fix Rig into St. Bernard Parish, LA, she visited two of the organizations that received those grants—the Humane Society of South Mississippi and St. Francis Animal Sanctuary.

Pit Road Pets: NASCAR Stars and Their Pets™

In 2006, the Ryan Newman Foundation published the hardcover book, Pit Road Pets: NASCAR Stars and Their PetsTM, a collection of first-person stories and intimate photographs of nearly 50 NASCAR celebrities and their pets. One hundred percent of the foundation’s proceeds from the book are being donated to the Humane Society of Catawba County’s capital campaign for the construction of the S.N.I.P. Regional Spay/Neuter Clinic that serves the heart of NASCAR country in NC.

The first printing of the book sold out, and the second printing—sponsored by Meaty BoneTM--was released in 2007. In March 2010, the Ryan Newman Foundation published a follow-up book titled Pit Road Pets: NASCAR Stars and Their Pets, the Second Lap, which once again, celebrates the NASCAR community and their beloved furry friends.

One hundred percent of the Ryan Newman Foundation net proceeds will be donated to animal causes such as giving grants to families that can’t afford to spay or neuter their pets. The Ryan Newman Foundation also plans to build a rescue ranch and animal education center in North Carolina that will serve as a model for animal welfare and education throughout the U.S.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (HPCIC)

North Carolina based Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (HPCIC) cares for patients and their families at a time when care matters most. Ryan and Krissie Newman are spokespersons for this organization. The Ryan Newman Foundation has formed a partnership with HPCIC to raise awareness of hospice and the programs that surround the Hospice & Palliative Care team.

AniMeals:

: A program founded with the help of HPCIC to provide free pet food deliveries to the patient’s home. It is the hope of the Foundation that by assisting Hospice families with AniMeals, we will not only help feed the pets of the families in need, but also, as a part of the Foundation mission, keep pets in their homes and out of shelters. With the help of local businesses such as: Tractor Supply Company, Southern States, Petco and Iams, we are able to assist these families in need. For more information about Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County or the AniMeals program, e-mail mindyr@hoic.org.

Rainbow Kidz:

: A program founded by HPCIC to offer children of our community a grief support group. The Ryan Newman Foundation formed a partnership with HPCIC to raise awareness of Hospice and the need for grief counseling for the many children in our area.

Hounds for Hospice:

: A partnership formed with HPCIC to help raise funds to assure that no one goes through end-of-life without the comfort and dignity they deserve. The Charity Dog Walk is designed to reach a new level of fundraising and increase the awareness of how important organizations such as HPCIC are to the community.

Newman's Pup Crew

In 2010 the Ryan Newman Foundation developed Newman's Pup Crew. The idea of having stuffed dogs that mirror the Newman’s own 6-pack: Digger, Dunkin, Fred, Harley, Mopar and Socks hopes to spark interest and awareness in children about the importance of animal education.

Iams

In 2010, the Ryan Newman Foundation partnered with Iams in support of the Animeals program. Ryan Newman and Krissie feed Digger, Dunkin, Fred, Harley, Mopar and Socks Iams ProActive Health Active Maturity. As a result, Ryan is helping Iams spread the word about how pet owners can impress their vet by feeding Iams.

Iams Home 4 the Holidays

: One the most successful pet adoption programs in the world, Iams Home 4 the Holidays has found homes for more than 4.6 million orphaned pets since 1999. Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center, the adoption campaign partners more than 3,800 pet adoption centers around the world. Helen Woodward Animal Center, Iams and the Ryan Newman foundation are proud to partner in an effort to raise awareness for orphaned pets and the joy they bring to families through adoption and fostering.

Second Harvest Food Bank

: In 2010, the Ryan Newman Foundation and Iams partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank of Charlotte to provide assistance with the Backpack Program for children in Troutman, North Carolina. The program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacation. The backpacks are filled with food to take home on the weekends. Iams donated 2,000 bags of dog/cat food for the pets of those who are in need of assistance.

Conservation

Ryan Newman has been a fan of the great outdoors for as long as he can remember. From late-night campfires to pre-dawn fishing trips with his grandfather, Ryan spent his childhood exploring the natural world around him. Today, when Ryan’s not behind the wheel of his #39 US Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he can often be found hunting or fishing across the country. In 2006, the Ryan Newman Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to Trout Unlimited whose mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. The foundation is also working with the conservation organization to develop programs that enable individuals to help protect rivers, lakes and streams.

Rich Vogler Scholarship

In his youth, Ryan Newman raced alongside Rich Vogler, who tragically died in white flag lap crash on the track. His family set up the Rich Vogler Scholarship in his memory. Newman was a recipient of the scholarship when he attended Purdue University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Vehicle Structure Engineering. The Ryan Newman Foundation donates annually to the Rich Vogler Scholarship fund, which encourages young members of the racing community to further their education.

Contact information for publication

Mailing Address:
Ryan Newman Foundation
PO Box 5998
Statesville, NC 28687

Media Contact Information:
Phone: 704-876-4777
Fax: 866-593-6793
info@ryannewmanfoundation.org
PO Box 5998
Statesville, NC 28687

Photos available upon request.