Two IndyCar drivers made a pit stop at the Children’s Stollery Hospital to spend some time with some of their younger fans.
Now in its 20th year, Racing for Kids featured drivers James Hinchcliffe and Mike Conway, who gave some under the weather children the chance to meet the driving stars and get the opportunity to hear first hand what the racing is like.
“These kids go through some tough things,” Hinchcliffe said. “There are always special cases that tug at your heart, but they still enjoy us (coming).”
Hinchcliffe said that the kids will always ask two questions, how fast the cars go and if the drivers have ever crashed.
“It’s not just kids that ask that,” he joked.
J. Patrick Wright, executive director for Racing For Kids, said that the nurses at the children’s hospitals saw great improvement with visits like this.
“It takes their mind off their (setting) and back to getting home,” Wright said. “These visits are a big part of recovery.”
Wright said that the drivers visiting and on the IndyCar circuit were very willing to share their stories and company with the kids.
“They are very conscious of their responsibility to the community,” Wright added.
Racing For Kids has raised over $5 million for the hospitals it has visited.
