The idea was born in a Mooresville restaurant, and 26 years later Stocks for Tots is booming far more than imagined.
Rusty Wallace and Don Miller, then the vice president of the Penske Corporation, were having breakfast when Pete Meletis, a township member, approached them. At the time, Wallace and Miller were in the process of building their race team and breaking ground on the property, but Meletis ended up setting in motion a life-changing event.
“He came up and asked, ‘Are you Don Miller and Rusty Wallace? Well, I’ve been talking to people here in town, and we have this really serious problem with child abuse,’” Miller recalled to POPULAR SPEED Tuesday night at the 26th annual Stocks for Tots event. “’We would really like to see if you guys could use your star power to help us raise some money for these children.’ Rusty had kids, and I had kids, so we said we’re going to try and do this. We’ll put together an event, and we’ll do our best.”
The town, then and now, was more than willing to give them whatever they needed and so the first event was held at the National Guard armory with a line out the door. Miller planned the event as a big car show, except with NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs.
Today the same concept lives on; only it has expanded to NHRA and Formula 1 drivers, along with other individuals from their profession. In attendance this year were legends such as Harry Gant, Rex White and the Allison brothers, Donnie, and Bobby. There was also Morgan Shepherd, Ryan Newman, Joe and John Hunter Nemechek while Shirley Muldowney brought plenty of attention with her appearance.
Fans earn admittance through a $10 donation and a new, unwrapped toy. The money is presented to SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) and the toys are taken to various distribution points where they will be handed out at hospitals and other areas of need. There is no delay between the event and benefit, and there is no middle as everything donated and collected goes to the children.
Over the years, Stocks for Tots has raised nearly $1 million while collecting close to 50,000 toys.
“There was no mass media then (in 1989) – we put a little ad in the paper, and it was a blowout,” Miller said. “You couldn’t get in there it was so many people and from that point it just kept growing and growing.”
Fans line the hallways of the NASCAR Technical Institute for a chance to see their heroes, many of whom return year after year. NASCAR broadcaster Mike Joy is one of them, whom Miller says has rarely missed an event and again spent time on Tuesday meeting fans and signing autographs.
“As a community, stock car racing doesn’t get very many chances to give back. A lot of drivers have their personal charities and other people in the sport do their giving in different ways. But Don Miller and his crew brought all of racing together to do this,” Joy told POPULAR SPEED, mentioning drivers of every national level down to youngsters in legends and bandoleros who want to help.
“A couple of years ago we had so many come here to want to sign they had to split off the legendary drivers into a separate group. I think that’s really fun because to hang in that room – we all know what happened on the track last year – but to sit and listen to those stories of yesteryear is pretty fun. I think it’s great. Harry Gant walked in behind me, and he looked fit as a fiddle and like he’s ready to climb in the car tomorrow, and that’s just so cool.”
For Miller, the Stocks for Tots has become a success in two ways. The continued support and reception from the community is a major driving force, as well as the reason behind its conception – everyone wants to help a child. Stocks for Tots is also able to pick up the slack of social services, who cannot handle all that comes across their desk.
“What people don’t get about this is if it wouldn’t be for events like this that we together for the abused children through SCAN and some other operations, social services could not cope with it in this area,” he said. “There would be a lot of kids that would go without any help and they would certainly not have a good Christmas.
“So from a community standpoint they love it and they give us police services and they give us buildings, anything that we want with regards to this town of Mooresville has been very, very supportive.”
SCAN, however, is committed to picking up as many cases as they can each year. While Miller doesn’t want to try to make the numbers out to be any worse than they really are, he will never be able to fathom how horrible and widespread the problem is.
“It is not good and I’m kind of like a romanticist. I always dream that if you work real hard you’ll overcome it,” Miller said with a far off, emotional look in his eye. “Maybe someday we will, but it isn’t working right now.”
So even if it’s for one night once a year, Miller and the many others who make it possible enjoy the accomplishment. As well as carry with them the many happy memories that are forever etched in mind.
“To see the faces, especially of the kids coming through, is really pretty precious. To know how far people traveled and know how long they waited in line there’s nothing to complain about,” Joy said. “We’re blessed and we have this little tiny chance to give back and it draws a lot of people and hopefully they have a lot of fun because they keep coming back.”
For Miller, it’s stuck with him from the very beginning.
“Our very first year there was people everywhere and it was colder than hell out, the wind was blowing, and I was trying to manage it, sign autographs and do things for people,” Miller started to remember. “I went to the door and here is this little kid, maybe four or five years old, and he wasn’t well off. He had a little jacket on, and I could tell he was freezing since he was shaking like crazy and had shoes with holes in them.”
Miller couldn’t turn away and said, “Hey buddy, what can I do for you? How can I help you? Did you come to see Santa Claus?”
The little boy said no. Instead, “I came to give you this from me and my sister,” and showed Miller a beat up cloth bag he was carrying. Miller pulled the strings open to see pennies, nickels, and dimes.
“Who does all this money belong to?” he asked.
“My sister and I saved it so we could give it to the children for Christmas,” the boy replied, which nearly sent Miller into a fit of tears. That night they sent the boy home with hats and other little things the event had received.
“I still think about it today,” Miller said of the happy moments Stocks for Tots has provided. “I’ll never forget it. My single most powerful memory.”
From one little boy on, the giving has only gotten bigger and better.