Tom and Tj Keen of Keen Parts launch an initiative to support the fight against women’s cancers through their sponsorship of driver Ryan Ellis surrounding the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on October 30, 2021.
Tom and Tj Keen of Keen Parts (CorvetteParts.net) are launching a campaign in conjunction with their NASCAR sponsorship of driver Ryan Ellis, in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, to help raise awareness and provide funding for women’s cancers. The campaign, set to begin on Monday, October 11th, will extend through race day on October 30th, 2021 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.
Profits from the initiatives will be split 50/50 between The Laughlin Family Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. During the duration of the campaign, fans who donate $30.00 or more will get their name, or a name of their choice, on Ellis’ CorvetteParts.net racecar. Fans can also show their support by recognizing someone who has been affected by cancer through the $30.00 donation. Donations can be made at www.thelaughlinfamilyfoundation.org. The deadline for name submission is October 21, 2021.
In addition, a VIP pit experience with meet and greets with both Ellis and Laughlin will be available for auction for the October 30th race, as well as Ellis’ race worn suit. Limited corporate/ individual sponsorships are also available through donation on the quarter panel of the racecar for increased branding opportunities.
CorvetteParts.net, a family-owned business owned by Tom and Tj Keen, sells parts and accessories for Corvette-lovers of all generations. They have been loyal NASCAR sponsors and friends of many within the industry since 2011, supporting drivers of all levels since then. The Keen’s elected to donate much of their sponsorship space to these foundations to raise money for these great causes.
“Keen Parts is honored to team up with both the Laughlin Family Foundation and the Susan G. Komen organization in their quest to help fight cancer. We’re hoping that this will get a massive push and hope fans will help us raise money for everything that these fine charities do,” stated Tj Keen of CorvetteParts.net.
Ryan Ellis, driver of the CorvetteParts.net racecar said of the event, “It says so much about Tom and Tj [Keen] that they donated these sponsorship locations of their sponsored racecar to these causes. It’s a beautiful scheme that really ties the whole thing together. It’ll be so special to carry the names of these donors and families affected by cancer and I hope that we can raise a substantial amount of money to make a difference. My mother-in-law battled breast cancer and is currently in remission, and after hearing about Craig and Linda’s [Laughlin] story, the Keen’s offered to split the car for both causes which is so cool. We want to highlight all women’s cancer with this effort and I hope we can use the combined NHL, NASCAR, and extended media platforms to raise as much money as possible.”
“We are thrilled that Tom Keen at CorvetteParts.net and Ryan Ellis reached out to us about this collaboration to help support and put an end to women’s cancers. We are so excited to be a part of this,” said Craig Laughlin of The Laughlin Family Foundation.
The Laughlin Family Foundation’s mission is to help spread awareness, education and research for underfunded and rare cancers. Former NHL player and current NBC Sports Washington analyst started the foundation when his wife Linda was diagnosed with a rare gynecological cancer in 2018. The Susan G. Komen Foundation invests in research to prevent and cure breast cancer.
About Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net:
Corvettes are all they do, so whether you’re looking for a complete interior for your vintage ’53 Corvette or a performance accessory for your ’11, they have the Corvette part you need and the expertise you want. For your Corvette exterior, they got you covered bumper-to-bumper. They even have emblems, moldings, grilles, bumpers and brackets, fiberglass, exterior trim and weather stripping. For the interior, they have steering wheels, seats, dash pads, consoles, carpeting, door panels, seat belts, interior trim and fasteners. Under the hood, they’ve got it all from air cleaners to exhaust systems, air conditioning, radiators, and valve covers all the way down to the decals and correct fasteners to bolt it all back together. For more information, please visit www.CorvetteParts.net or call 1-800-757-KEEN (5336).
About The Laughlin Family Foundation:
Craig and Linda Laughlin, along with their family, founded The Laughlin Family Foundation to bring awareness, support, and research to rare cancers. Craig is a former NHL player and current Capitals TV Analyst on NBC Sports Washington. He has long supported the DMV community with charitable endeavors, and has now forged his own foundation to help fight this devastating disease. In April 2018, Craig’s wife, Linda, was diagnosed with a rare form of endometrial cancer – uterine serous carcinoma – a disease which only affects approximately 6,000 women per year in the United States. While Linda’s diagnosis came as a shock, it also shed light on the realization that there are hundreds of other rare cancers. Affecting over 100,000 people each year, there is very limited patient and clinical knowledge for these cancers.
About Susan G Komen:
In 1980, Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became the Susan G. Komen® organization and the beginning of a global movement. What was started with $200 and a shoebox full of potential donor names has now grown into the world’s largest nonprofit source of funding for the fight against breast cancer. To date, we’ve invested more than $2.9 billion in groundbreaking research, community health outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 60 countries. Our efforts helped reduce deaths from breast cancer by 40 percent between 1989-2016 and we won’t stop until our promise is fulfilled.
— Ryan Ellis Racing