NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The fastest toy drive in the country is coming to Auto Club Raceway in Pomona during the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov.8-11. The Never Forgotten Foundation, Inland Valley Hope Partners, Kalitta Motorsports, and Global Electronic Technology are teaming up to gather toys from race fans at the final race of the season for the NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series. 
 
Never Forgotten Foundation founder Steve Bryson and his wife, Samantha, have made national news with their generous donations during the holiday season in recent years, including paying off tens of thousands of dollars in layaway items at retailers in low income areas. Teaming up with Inland Valley Hope Partners (IVHP) for this toy drive will allow them to bring smiles to the faces of children throughout the San Gabriel Valley, as well as other parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties serviced by IVHP. 
  
Fans of NHRA Drag Racing can help by bringing new, unwrapped toys to the Auto Club NHRA Finals and leaving them in donation boxes at the NHRA Nitro Mall or at the Kalitta Motorsports hospitality trailer, located next to the car sponsored by the Bryson’s company, Global Electronic Technology, and driven by NHRA World Champion Shawn Langdon. Never Forgotten Foundation (NFF) serves as an honorary associate sponsor of the 10,000 horsepower, nitromethane burning Funny Car. 
  
“For us, it’s all about giving back,” said NFF founder Steve Bryson. “The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but I remember what it was like to have nothing. My mother did everything she could for our family, but we grew up dirt poor in Memphis. She didn’t have the means to pay for presents, but she made it each day special. Samantha and I want to do the same for the thousands of children IVHP and NFF help each year. Everyone deserves to have a Merry Christmas, and happy holidays.” 
  
All of the toys gathered during the weekend will be donated to Inland Valley Hope Partners, who will then distribute them to children in Pomona, Ontario, Chino, Claremont, Upland and other cities. The goal is to make sure every child in need this holiday season has a few new toys. It is part of Bryson’s vision to make Christmas the most wonderful time of the year for every child, regardless of their circumstances. 
  
“We thought teaming with the folks at Inland Valley Hope Partners made the most sense, because we are racing in their backyard,” Bryson continued. “IVHP deserves more recognition. They serve 75,000 no and low-income Americans every year, right here in our communities. They help with food, housing and they have aid programs. They serve nearly a million meals a year. The work they do matters.”