By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – Port Royal Speedway fans, teams and drivers gathered together Saturday night June 15 for Fan Appreciation Night while also making an effort to benefit the well-being and future of five-year old Charlie Dean Leffler, who lost his father Jason Leffler in a sprint car racing accident last week at Bridgeport Speedway.
In conjunction with the USAC Benevolent Foundation that has started the Charlie Dean Leffler Fund, drivers from the Port Royal pits swarmed the great crowd in attendance for the summer-night racing program, collecting donations to benefit young Leffler.
Some track employees donated their night’s pay to the fund while fans including children handed over one-dollar bills and still others in attendance tossed in folded up rolls of twenty and fifty-dollar bills.
In the end, the Port Royal collected total for the Charlie Dean Leffler USAC Benevolent Foundation Fund capped at $4,000.
On the heels of its sprint car Eastern Storm tour that ended last Sunday and in response to the tragic loss of Jason Leffler three days ago, USAC announced Saturday that its Benevolent Foundation, which has been supporting and aiding deceased drivers, mechanics and their families for six decades, will match any donation dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 that is earmarked for the Leffler Fund.
This essentially turns the $4,000 that Port Royal will send to the fund into $8,000 total at the time of deposit.
After the $50,000 fund mark is reached, all donations will be added to the fund at face value.
USAC is also setting up a PayPal account to accept Charlie Dean Leffler donations with hopes that the account will be operable by Wednesday, June 19. The account will be accessible from the USAC website at www.usacracing.com.
Private and individual donations should be sent to and made out to: USAC Benevolent Foundation, 4910 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46224 with “Charlie Dean Leffler Fund” noted in the memo portion of the check.
Any questions or inquiries regarding donations and the fund should be sent to USAC Benevolent Foundation manager Bill Marvel at billmarvel@gmail.com.
Officially founded in 1959, the USAC Benevolent Foundation was founded as a supplement and assistance to long-range needs for those injured in competition and their families when needed. The Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt foundation dedicated to the health and welfare of those persons.
Over the years, the Foundation has committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to assist members and their families in their time of need.
The USAC Benevolent Foundation is a tax-qualified charity designated as 501c-3 tax status that provides immediate and full tax deductions.