Hall of Fame Drag Racer Darrell Gwynn Brings Together NASCAR Legends Ryan Newman, Martin Truex, Richard Childress and others to Fish for a Cause and Donate a Wheelchair to Matthew Bellina of Cocoa Beach
Daytona, Florida January 19, 2016 – Hall of Fame Drag Racer Darrell Gwynn was joined today by his NASCAR friends for the annual Hot Rods & Reels Fishing Tournament, presented by YETI, to benefit The Darrell Gwynn Quality of Life Chapter of The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. The event is held annually on Lake Lloyd, the infield lake at the historic Daytona International Speedway.
“Each year I am humbled by the sponsors, drivers, owners, and our friends at Daytona who always help us stand up for those who can’t. This year’s Hot Rods & Reels Fishing Tournament, presented by YETI, was one of the most successful, and we’re looking forward to making the next one even better so we can raise the much needed fund for The Buoniconti Fund and the paralysis research we support,” said Darrell Gwynn.
During the 25th anniversary year of both his last National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) win and the accident that left him paralyzed, the Darrell Gwynn Chapter of The Buoniconti Fund donated a custom wheelchair to Matthew Bellina of Cocoa Beach who has a spinal cord injury. Darrell Gwynn and the Chapter also made a presentation to the Speediatrics program at Halifax Health.
Camping World Truck Series driver John Hunter Nemechek’s team won with a three fish total of 13.87 pounds, and the largest fish at 5 1⁄2 pounds was caught by Richard Childress from Richard Childress Racing. Additional fishing tournament participants included: Ryan Newman, Dave Blaney, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex, Max Papis, Joe Nemechek, Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers and Joey Coulter. Tournament partners and sponsors included Daytona International Speedway, YETI, Bass Pro Shops, Bass Online and Hook & Tackle.
The Darrell Gwynn Quality of Life Chapter of The Buoniconti Fund: In 1985, Barth A. Green, M.D. and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti helped found The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after Nick’s son, Marc, sustained a spinal cord injury during a college football game. Today, The Miami Project is the world’s most comprehensive spinal cord injury (SCI) research center, and a designated Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Darrell’s foundation, started in 2002, has provided support for people with paralysis and worked to prevent spinal cord injuries through their Wheelchair Donation Program and Education & Prevention Program. He will continue to achieve these goals through his work with the Darrell Gwynn Quality of Life Chapter of The Buoniconti Fund, under the umbrella of The Miami Project’s fundraising arm.