Racing: A Vehicle to Help Others

Bowling, burgers and… racing? A strange combination and two out of three will benefit the third.

Join Dillon Welch, Welch Racing and Fellowship of Christian Athletes this Sunday, August 22nd for the Bowling Burger Bash presented by Z-Line Designs Furniture. Bowling begins at 1 pm at Woodland Bowl on East 96th Street followed by burgers at 4 pm at 96th Street Steakburgers where awards and auction items will be presented. The cost is $35 per person/$120 for teams of four. (Dinner is included in the cost.)

Dillon is a 16-year-old Carmel High School honor-roll student who loves to work out and play bass guitar and piano when he’s not racing his USAC Midget for legendary car owner/builder, Bob East in the USAC Midget Regional Series. Dillon has won three times this season and is second in points heading into the final race, which is September 25. Dillon hopes to make his national debut next month in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009, he won the USAC Kenyon Midget Series Championship.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes is the largest Christian sports organization in America, with local branches striving to equip, empower and encourage people to make a difference for Christ. Their desire is to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of athletes and coaches.

Dillon’s father, race commentator, Vince Welch, says he has tried to instill in his son the importance of paying it forward.

“I am proud of him for what he accomplishes on the track,” he says, “but admit that I am most proud of him for the kind of kid that he is off-track, recognizing how others contribute to his success through their support and in return, his desire to do what he can to show his appreciation.

Echoing that sentiment, Dillon says, “I couldn’t race without the support of others, so it only make sense that I would use my racing as a vehicle to help others.”

Sunday’s Bowling Burger Bash will help Dillon’s racing program but 50% of the money raised will be donated to Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Burger Bowling Bash FCA Poster 2 300 fat

World Cup 2010 Meets Jesus

I have always been a big sports nut. In fact, it is my love of sports that got me into broadcasting in the first place. My goal was to be the female Bob Costas of the world. It didn’t work out that way, and that’s just fine by me. Besides, the only thing Bob and I really have in common is our height. He’s a stats man. I’m a story-teller. Don’t get me wrong, Bob’s also a great story-teller but he’s known for weaving stats into his stories. I prefer to tell people about the player, the coach, the team. I want people to know the man behind the plate, the guy in the firesuit, or the woman shooting the hoops.

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be followed by people in 200 countries and watched on TV by more than three billion fans. Yet most of these fans have never had the chance to discover the personal stories behind what motivates some of their favorite athletes—until now.

International sports ministry, Athletes in Action, recently released a 26-minute film called The Prize – Chasing the Dream, which was produced specifically for the 2010 World Cup. It features six elite soccer players from around the world who share their stories of faith and how God has impacted their lives:

• Lucio ‐ Captain of the Brazilian National Team and 2002 World Cup winner

• Kaká‐ 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year and member of the 2002 winning team

• Marcos Senna ‐ Member of Spanish National Team, currently ranked number one in the world.

• Nicola Legrotagglie – Member of the Italian National Team, currently ranked fourth in the world

• Cyrille Domoraud – Retired captain of the Ivorian National Team (Ivory Coast) whom he led to

their first World Cup appearance in 2006

• Oscar Ewolo –Captain of the Congolese team and 12‐year professional player

To reach a worldwide audience, AIA Media has an 10-language DVD available featuring English, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, French, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Italian European Portuguese, and Brazilian Portuguese.

If you’re a soccer fan, and there are lots of you out there, take a few minutes to watch this short film. You will be inspired by these athletes as they share a personal passion from which they draw perspective, not only on the game of soccer – but also on life.

For more information or to order a copy of The Prize: Chasing the Dream, please visit www.theprize.com or call (888) 244‐9159.

Which of these soccer players intrigue you the most? What other athletes do you want to know more about and why? I’d love to hear your thoughts.