Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) held its annual Bowling for Riley fundraiser Dec. 6 at Western Bowl in Indianapolis. The event brings together pro NHRA drivers with current and former patients of Riley Children’s Hospital for a night of fun, inspiration and fundraising.
The evening raised $35,367 for the Riley’s Children’s Foundation. The amount brings DSR’s yearly total to $108,902 in funds raised for the foundation.
“It’s an honor to be able to help them,” Riley funny car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. said. “…after driving the Riley car at U.S. Nationals and going to the hospital to visit these kids, and seeing everything the foundation does to help these kids and get them back on the road to recovery. It’s just a great foundation and a lot of great people work there.”
The rest of the DSR team including top fuel drivers Antron Brown, Pittsboro, and Leah Pritchett, Avon, were also on hand to greet fans and bowl with the Riley kids.
Maeci Young, 18, Danville, and former Miracle Children’s Network representative Braden Tamosaitis, 12, Camby, were among the bowlers.
Young, currently a senior at Danville High School, is a cancer survivor. She says her experience with Riley has inspired her to pursue a degree in pediatric nursing.
“I want to give back,” she said. “With how much my nurses did for me, I want to do that for other people.”
Young is already a certified nursing assistant and plans to earn a nursing degree from IUPUI. Her ultimate goal is to become a pediatric oncology nurse at Riley Children’s Hospital.