If you have stopping making Christmas lists, how old were you when you stopped?  Maybe 15?  Maybe 18? Maybe 70?  Well, let me tell you about Nathan who stopped at age 10.   Or Addison who stopped at age 8.  Samantha at age 5, or Ryan at age 10.  Let me tell you about the one month old Bryce who never got to know what Christmas is.  Or several others so young they never experienced a Christmas or so young they could barely understand what it was all about.  These kids I just named were not killed in accidents nor the victims of childhood cancer or other maladies.  These kids, along with thirty-two others between the ages of one month to 12 years old, were, in one year's time, in the State of North Carolina, victims of child abuse deaths.  Death at the hands of their parents or caregivers.

I will admit when I sat down to write this Legendtorial I had intended to begin the writing entirely different.  But, thinking of children having to suffer such abuse as I set out to describe in the first draft made it impossible for me to get the lump out of my throat, or the tears out of my eyes to even begin to read the script.  Therefore, I have fallen back to this "water-down" version of my original draft.  Let that in no way water-down the impact of what this child abuse and these deaths of innocent children in North Caroline represent.

It is difficult for a rational human to even conceive of killing their own child, either intentionally or through the abuse brought on by temper, drugs, alcohol, or other reasons.  Children are the innocent victims of adults gone far from the path of humanity.  Within just the past few months, right here where I live in South Carolina, we have the case where a father of five really beautiful children allegedly took their lives, put their bodies in garbage bags and dumped them beside the road out-of-state.  Our recent Gubernatorial race focused heavily on the current Governor not doing enough to protect children and the challenger making promises of how his administration would change things.  So the facts are out there.  People know child abuse occurs but many prefer to overlook it or pretend it couldn't happen within families they know.

Doing a little research before writing this piece tonight brought up more information of child abuse nationwide than I ever wanted to know.  There were pictures readily available, I guess for shock value primarily, of small children so badly beaten their features were hardly recognizable.  Just Google "Child Abuse" if your doubt me.  What kind of person could do such unspeakable things to a child?

Back in 1989, Don Miller recognized the need for some involvement in the prevention of child abuse.  Don led the charge to organize what has become known as "Stocks for Tots" which is a campaign of racing folks, primarily NASCAR and NHRA folks, who come together the second Tuesday of every December to raise money to help in the fight against child abuse and to help with parenting classes to help parents who need counseling and education in way to curb their bend to abuse their children.  This year, 2014, the Stocks for Tots get together will happen next Tuesday, December 9th, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and continuing until 9:00 p.m.   There will be two separate sessions with the Pioneers and Legends of the sport meeting fans and signing autographs from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30.  Then, beginning at 7:00 p.m. the current stars of the sport and other prominent figures of today's racing scene will meet fans until 9:00 p.m.

It will be necessary for you to have a wrist band to enter the venue.  Wrist bands may be obtained from the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame on the day of the event.  Cost is $10.00 per person AND an unwrapped new toy that cost a minimum of $10.00.  You may call the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame at 704-663-5331 for directions and with any other questions you may have.   The event happens at The NASCAR Technical Institute there in Mooresville where a race fan can bask in the beauty of race cars on display.  It is quite an impressive sight. Net Proceeds go to SCAN of Iredell County, NC.  SCAN is "Stop Child Abuse Now".

This will be my fourth consecutive year appearing at the event.  My fervent "Thank you" goes out to Bob Hissom who called me four years ago when I was on the way to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte with a van load of folk going for our first visit there.  When my cell rang, I quickly glanced at the unknown number and almost didn’t' answer it.  When I said hello, Bob identified himself and told me why he was calling.  He was inviting me to be a participant in the program coming up in a couple of weeks.  When he told me it was for kids, he didn't have to say anything more before I immediately agreed to be there.

You see, when I was growing up, I was blessed by so many adults who cared for me and who showed me what love and caring were all about.   Outside of my family where my teachers (some of them), my Scout Master, and more than one pastor that served the Methodist Church I attended.  I sort of promised myself that if I were ever able to give to kids what I had been given, then I was all in and that has been pretty much what I've tried to do since about age 25.  When Bob told me this was to help abused kids to a better life AND to provide Christmas gifts to kids who may not otherwise have anything on Christmas morning, I couldn't think of another place I would rather be on that Tuesday night.  In a way, I guess I consider it some sort of payback for the wonderful life I had as a kid, but in another way, it's to think that maybe, just maybe, I can make a small difference just by being a part of such a wonderful program.  What I have been given over the past three years at Stocks for Tots, can't be measured in dollars and cents.  To try to go into detail here is one part of the original draft where I became very emotional so let me just say, again, thank you Bob Hissom for the original invite and thank you Don Miller for the wonderful things you do for the event.

I have always considered the honest laugher of a child as the most beautiful music ever heard.  The sincere smile of a child is a brightness to which even the sunshine takes a back seat.  That's just the way I feel about it.  Since 1989, Stocks for Tots has raised over $850,000.00 and provided over 50,000 Christmas gifts for children in Iredell County, N.C.  That is something of which to be justifiably proud.

So, this is my Legendtorial for the week.  There will be NO Legendtorial next week because I'll be in Mooresville as a part of the Stocks For Tots group meeting fans from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30.  The previous three years I have met, among others, a group of four young men from a college in Pennsylvania who drove down to Mooresville just for that event and had to be back in class Wednesday.  I have met an elderly couple from Indiana who came down especially for the event and would stay overnight before the long drive back.   I have met hundreds of others who come together to meet folks from the world of NASCAR and NHRA and although the excitement always runs high when they meet their heroes, it is almost down to the last person that the reason they come, the reason they stand in those long lines is not for just the autographs or pictures with their favorites.  It's because they are doing something good for children.  Nothing much nobler than that.

I hope that many of you in the area will come out Tuesday night next week.  I hope many of you listening who can't make it, will call the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame and ask how you can contribute to making Christmas morning especially bright for a kid who may otherwise have nothing.  Or, even more important, being able to eradicate child abuse completely through parenting classes and efforts to stop it once and for all.  Looking back, I wonder what the ten-year old Ryan would have had on his Christmas list this year had not his life been ended by child abuse.  Think about it.