An Exciting Race For A Great Cause, The Feed The County 150 Returns To Spud Speedway

Caribou, Maine (WAGM) - Over the weekend, The Aroostook Savings & Loan Feed The County 150 , a local charity event to raise money for the Catholic Charities Maine Food Bank which supplies food to all of the food pantries in Aroostook County was held. The race itself was the first stock car race in three years . Newssource 8s Jonathon Eigenmann was there Sunday covering the event and has the story.

Troy Haney:” This is a third time we’ve done this event, this is the third year in a row. That we, of course, the last couple of years we were off due to covid but, we don’t want to see anybody in our community go hungry and that’s the driving force behind this one race a year we do at spud speedway”.

On Sunday the Feed The County 150 took place, Pro All Star Series drivers came out along with other classes like pass modifieds to race against each other and put on a show for race fans, but of course the main purpose of this race is to help feed the county. And everyone there from the drivers to the volunteers are determined to give their all to help those who need it.

Troy Haney:” I’ve grown up in Aroostook county, I’ve been blessed to have a couple of local businesses that have been supported by our communities all over Aroostook County. This is a way we can give back, we try really hard to figure out ways to give back to the community and help, this is one of our main things all year long with other avenues along with our other businesses”.

And this event just shows how much people inside and outside the county care for each other.

“We get 73 sponsors for this event that decided to help feed the county, local businesses and people and individuals, and then we have all these race teams from all over New England, that could go to a racetrack closer to them today. They didn’t have to drive the four, five , six. seven, eight, ten hours depending on where their coming from to be here, but they came because there was a cause”.

This has been a busy weekend for many of the volunteers for feed the county and Dixie Shaw, who on Saturday hosted the 7th Annual Feed The County Family Fun Day, and it help set the stage for the race that would take place the next day.

Dixie Shaw: " The event yesterday was awesome, it was beautiful weather, its again our 7th annual family fun day at Goughan’s Berry Farm with the corn maze, the mini golf, all of the wonderful things, The Barbeque and we had a great turnout because I think people. They know what to expect, they know when they come to Goughan’s berry farm its going to fun for the whole entire family. there was a great turnout, a lot of support for our work and we sure do appreciate everybody who came out to do that as well as the race this weekend”.

One race driver in Spencer Morse really enjoys his time at Spud Speedway, and to raise money and food for charity, his team along with other drivers and car owners set up a challenge that started with 100 dollars and couple of cans of food and asked other drivers to match it. well, they did, and it turned into 1,630 dollars in donations along with a bunch of food. Spencer Morse says he just loves being a part of the atmosphere the county presents.

Spencer Morse:” There is no better people, in the state of Maine or in the country then up here in caribou. And just the way that this show is put together. So many people work so hard, and no money is going back in their pocket it’s all to help the people of the county. So just everything about this when you can combine race cars and you can combine the charity and giving back, I’m absolutely all in”

The need to support those less fortunate is needed now more than ever, due to high costs of heating, oil due to the current inflation

Dixie Shaw: " It doesn’t matter if your low income or working or whatever, it just seems like the ends don’t meet anymore. And when the ends don’t meet, something’s has to give and you know you have to pay certain bills like the rent, or the mortgage, or whatever or you’ll be homeless. So, people cut back on food, they cut back on heat because they can go a little hungry or they can get/be a little cold.” But our hope is that if we can help alleviate some of the need for food, that it will help them with their bottom line and help them get those ends together a little better”.

The important message to take away from this race and the events hosted by feed the county is that at this time where inflation is high and it comes down to choosing between certain needs based on importance, that we need to help each other, so that we can all be happy and enjoy life to the fullest.

Jonathon Eigenmann, Newssource 8.

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