BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. (May 8, 2020) — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Bon Secours will be featured aboard Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Darlington Raceway May 17 where veteran Reed Sorenson will handle the driving chores.
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, the presenting sponsor of the 2019–20 Swamp Rabbits season and one of the top healthcare organizations in Upstate South Carolina, has partnered with the Swamp Rabbits to extend a message of gratitude to healthcare workers and a message of health, safety and security to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, the fifth-largest Catholic health care ministry and one of the United States’ 20 largest health care systems.
“We’re excited to continue to support frontline healthcare workers and also have a good working relationship with the Swamp Rabbits,” said Matt Caldwell, President of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. “It’s always great to recognize the real frontline heroes in healthcare, especially in times like these.”
The NASCAR Cup Series has been on hiatus since it last competed at Phoenix Raceway nearly two months ago as the United States and countries around the world grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the partnership, the Swamp Rabbits, Bon Secours and Spire Motorsports will participate in The Real Heroes Project, honoring healthcare workers through the power of sports. The Swamp Rabbits livery will adorn the hood, rear quarter panels and tail of the team’s Chevy Camaro.
The Real Heroes Project recognizes and honors the spirit of front-line healthcare workers who have stepped up during the global emergency, placing themselves in harm’s way to care for those battling the COVID-19 virus.
Sorenson’s name will be covered with tape, and replaced by Stacey Anne Wilson, a registered nurse who joined Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in 2017. Wilson, a Clemson University School of Nursing graduate, cares for patients in the Intensive and Critical Care Units at St. Francis Downtown in Greenville and plans to graduate with a doctorate in nursing from the University of South Carolina later this year.
“The Swamp Rabbits are thrilled to partner with Bon Secours and Spire Motorsports to salute healthcare workers who answer the call during these unparalleled times,” explained Swamp Rabbits president Todd Mackin. “We have a unique opportunity to highlight the amazing and selfless work we’re seeing across the healthcare industry and we’re proud to embody the work of Stacey Wilson through The Real Heroes Project. At the same time, we’re eager for the Swamp Rabbits fan base to see their logo showcased on a national level.”
The hashtag #TheRealHeroes will be displayed on the hood and above the rear window on the No. 77 entry. The Swamp Rabbits logo on the hood of the machine will sport a protective mask to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) safety guidelines.
“Spire is proud to showcase two of our properties and a major partner in the battle against COVID-19 when the NASCAR Cup Series gets back to business in two weeks at Darlington Raceway,” offered Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr. “We have a unique opportunity to integrate the Swamp Rabbits partnership with Bon Secours into The Real Heroes Project. It’s hard to imagine where we’d be in the fight against COVID-19 without the hard work and dedication of healthcare professionals like Stacey. We’re grateful to express our gratitude with this unique platform.”
The NASCAR Cup Series gets back to work Sunday, May 17, and Wednesday, May 20 with a pair of races at the legendary Darlington Raceway. The May 17 400-mile race will be televised live on FOX beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The first of back-to-back Cup Series contests at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The second race will be contested under the lights three days later beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT., where FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the race live.
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