One of the driving forces behind the annual Gift of Lights event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) is the opportunities that attendees have to give back to the community. The New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCCNH) and the Loudon Food Pantry each benefitted from the generosity of those who attended Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter during the holiday season. More than $23,000 was raised for SCCNH and nearly 1,600 meals were provided for those served by the Loudon Food Pantry.

SCCNH, which raises money for children in need throughout New England, received a portion of each vehicle’s admission, s’more kit purchases and fun run/walk registrations for a total of $23,057.50, making this one of the largest SCCNH fundraisers annually. The funds raised will be combined with proceeds from other 2023 SCCNH events and be distributed through grants to local nonprofits in December. As the official charity of the speedway, SCCNH has raised more than $411,000 from Gift of Lights since 2011 and has distributed more than $2.1 million supporting more than 957,000 children throughout the region since 2009.

“It feels so good to witness the community coming together to kick-start our year of fundraising to support children in need throughout New England simply by enjoying this annual holiday tradition with their families,” said Speedway Children’s Charities New Hampshire Chapter Director Danielle Cyr. “We can’t wait to host many more fun events this year to raise as much money as possible to support local kids.”

Gift of Lights visitors received free admission on a special night when they brought at least five non-perishable food items to donate to the Loudon Food Pantry. These donations plus others collected throughout the event’s duration, contributed to a total of 1,928.14 pounds of food, which will provide 1,598 meals.

“This year we have seen an increase in the need for our services because the cost of their basic requirements has risen,” said Loudon Food Pantry President Sue Houck. “The food that is donated through Gift of Lights will help us fill that need. We are grateful for the help!”

Since Gift of Lights first started, food and monetary donations have allowed NHMS to donate over 102,000 pounds of food to the Loudon Food Pantry, which has provided nearly 96,000 meals to locals during the holiday and winter months.

Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter, which has welcomed nearly 155,000 vehicles since 2011, is a 2.5-mile drive-thru light show that transforms NHMS into a twinkling winter wonderland with 3.5 million LED lights each holiday season.

Follow Us:
Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), Twitter (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.