Starting in November, fans of country music superstar Trace Adkins, racing legend Richard Petty and BC and Goody’s Headache Powders will have the opportunity to help honor and empower wounded service members as well as children with chronic medical conditions.
The Pick a Powder campaign that began during the summer of 2010 with a friendly rivalry between Adkins, spokesman for BC Powder and Petty, spokesman for Goody’s Powder, is launching the “Like, Share, Change the World” campaign.
Utilizing the power of Facebook, fans can go to BC and Goody’s Facebook pages to help raise funds for Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and Victory Junction. For every BC or Goody’s page “liked”, a $1.00 donation will be made (up to $50,000) to Wounded Warrior Project from BC and to Victory Junction from Goody’s. After fans “like” BC or Goody’s pages fans can go to an electronic wall and share a suggestion for how to make the world a less painful place. After posting, fans can register for a sweepstakes for an all-expense paid VIP trip for four to the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway (race tickets, air and hotel) courtesy of Goody’s, or an all-expense paid VIP trip for four to a Trace Adkins concert stop (concert tickets, air and hotel) in 2012 (location TBD) courtesy of BC. The campaign begins on November 1, 2011 and will go through February 29, 2012.
Both charities, Victory Junction and Wounded Warrior Project, have been an integral part of the ‘Pick A Powder’ campaign since it began. Last April, BC and Goody’s collectively gave $100,000 to the charities in a check presentation at the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville, Va. BC and Goody’s hope to get the public’s help in raising that amount again for the charities through this year’s campaign.
“With our new “Like, Share, Change the World” campaign, we are excited to provide the loyal fans of BC and Goody’s another opportunity to join Team Trace and Team Richard to help raise funds and awareness for our two ‘Pick A Powder’ charity partners – Wounded Warrior Project and Victory Junction," said Traci Plate, Goody’s and BC Powders Brand Manager, GlaxoSmithKline. “With November being Autism Awareness Month and the month of Veteran’s Day, it is the perfect time to launch this new effort and provide insights into some of the challenges veterans and families with seriously ill children face. We look forward to seeing the Facebook postings of how powders fans will help make the world a more pain-free place. One thing we can all continue to do is to help make a difference in the lives of our wounded service members and children with serious illnesses.”
According to Wounded Warrior Project, more than 45,000 of our nation’s armed forces have been physically wounded during the current military conflicts. Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be recovering from invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury. “Through our partnership with BC Powder, we are able to continue serving our injured service members that have proudly served our country,” said Wounded Warrior Project Chief Development Officer, Adam Silva. “With the support of partners like BC Powder and Team Trace, we are able to honor, empower, and make a difference in the lives of our servicemen and women and their families everyday throughout the year.”
As a part of the campaign, BC and Goody’s also want to provide the public with insights on some of the headaches and challenges many of the Wounded Warrior Project alumni and Victory Junction families face and to enlist the public’s understanding and help in making their lives less painful.
According to Wounded Warrior Project alumni:
• Almost half (46 percent) said they either had trouble falling or staying asleep or they slept too much nearly every day.
• Half report that they earn less than $30,000 in income from work.
• About 6 out of 10 veterans reported that their health currently “limits them a lot” regarding vigorous activities.
“We are thrilled and honored to once again team up with my grandfather, Richard Petty and the ‘Pick A Powder’ campaign sponsored by BC and Goody’s Powders,” said Austin Petty, Executive Vice President, Victory Junction. “All of us at Victory Junction want to continue creating new opportunities for campers and families to discover freedom, friendship and fun, and with the support of partners like Goody’s Powder we know this is possible.”
Below are some of the challenges Victory Junction Camp families surveyed experience:
• 80 percent said their biggest financial challenges are insurance and medical bills.
• More than one third wants the general public to know that children with special needs are normal children.
• More than 70 percent said their dream for their child is to have a normal, healthy, and happy life.
Victory Junction is a year-round facility located in Randleman, NC that is committed to providing children with serious and/or ongoing health issues an opportunity to attend camp and enjoy inspiring and rewarding experiences and just celebrate being a kid. The organization holds a special place for Richard Petty because it was founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of Richard’s late grandson and former NASCAR driver, Adam Petty, who had the dream to start a camp. Today, Adam’s dream lives on in the children who attend Victory Junction as well as the donors and volunteers who help fund and support these life changing experiences.
For more information on the new “Like, Share, Change the World” campaign, click here.