The Racers for Tots Annual Christmas Party is next on the schedule December 6 for the Racers for Tots crew.
With the race season behind us and the Racers for Tots Rocket race car at a new home in New Mexico it’s time to take care of the less fortunate and needy children at the annual Racers for Tots Christmas Party Saturday December 6 at the South Fayette Fire Hall in Cuddy, PA.
Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. And the party will go until 11:00 p.m. Admission is a (or multiple) new unwrapped toy or $10.00.
DJ Rick Kohler will provide the music and entertainment and a cash bar will be available (please be responsible) along with food and deserts.
A Chinese Auction with plenty of items will be available and Racers for Tots special awards will be presented.
In addition to all of the toys the friends of Racers for Tots have and will donate the Chartiers Valley School District student toy drive will be loaded into the tractor trailer for delivery to the less fortunate kids.
The South Fayette Fire Hall is located on Millers Run Road in Cuddy and is about 10 minutes off I-79 at the Bridgeville exit. Turn left off the exit from either North or South, get in the right lane and make the first right on Millers Run.
Follow Millers Run a couple of miles to the South Fayette Fire Hall on the left.
We hope to see you there for the Racers for Tots Christmas Party!!
It was an idea to help all the many needy children who, through unfortunate circumstances, would face Christmas morning with little or no gifts. And through Steigerwald’s initial idea, coupled with various others involved in Motorsports who have lent a hand, Racers for Tots was born. Today Racers for Tots has evolved to enormous success and Steigerwald has set goals, somewhat lofty, but nonetheless attainable.
“It started several years ago when I took my wife to lunch downtown,” explained Jimmy Steigerwald, who serves as the Assistant Pit Steward at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway and is known as “The Sheriff”, when asked about the origins of the Racers for Tots organization he founded. “There was a distribution center for the Marines Toys for Tots Program. We were walking by and something made me turn right and go in there. I went in and asked how I could get involved. They started explaining and I said I was with racers. And they said, ‘What are they?’ (Laughs) And I told them car racers and that we had our own fraternity more or less.”
“I told them I worked at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway and that we were having a Christmas party and I thought I would suggest that everyone bring a toy. This year we had a bike run, a car smash, and other functions. I feel like Jerry Lewis you know because it’s different people who want to get involved. And it’s growing….”
Racers or Tots has grown so fast that it has become like a full time job for Steigerwald, but you will hear no complaints from him. He enjoys it and one gets the impression the enthusiastic Steigerwald would not have it any other way.
Although the program is based in the Pittsburgh, PA area, Steigerwald isn’t content. He is already formulating plans to take the program to loftier heights.
“It’s something we would like to go national with,” explained Steigerwald. “I always use the example, like at Dover that one time they had around 160,000 people and that’s just one race. And I said if every guy that went to that race would give ten dollars to help get a kid a present, that’s a million and six hundred thousand dollars. That’s amazing.” Steigerwald is also quick to point out the success of the program is due to the generosity of the racing community. “We try to stress we’re racers and it’s ‘racing’,” said Steigerwald. “That’s car racing, motorcycle racing, boat racing, and drag racing. All racers. We’re all a fraternity. And that’s what we’re trying to do. Same with the race tracks. We’re trying to get more race tracks involved.”
Steigerwald’s mission has also attracted many others who have lent a helping hand to the worthwhile program. All who participate have enthusiasm for the project. Racers for Tots fundraising events aren’t only confined to December. Steigerwald and associates stay busy with the project all year.