Sunday, 21 March 2010 16:54
Written by NASCAR News
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Rick Crawford will participate in Thursday’s White House Fatherhood Forum along with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, other government officials, community leaders and military parents.
The public also is being invited to attend the 4 to 7 p.m. ET event discussing the roles, responsibilities and challenges of fatherhood.
The forum, being held at the John D. Fuller, Sr. Recreational/Athletic Complex, 6627 Bunce Road, Fayetteville, N.C., is part of President Obama’s National Conversation on Responsible Fatherhood. It will explore challenges affecting military and Veteran dads and their families and how community organizations, faith-based groups, government and families can come together to meet those challenges.
Crawford, whose 21-year-old son Adam is a member of his Circle Bar Racing crew and an aspiring race car driver, knows first-hand the challenges of being an absent parent.
“If sharing my experiences as a NASCAR driver, which entails being on the road for more than half the year each season, can be of value to those who are serving our country at home and overseas, I didn’t have to be asked twice,” Crawford said in accepting the Department of Veterans Affairs’ invitation to take part in the forum. Crawford’s team has been a part of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series since the beginning of the 1997 season. Crawford, a five-time winner, will be making his 325th series start at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on March 27.
“Being away from your family for an extended period of time is one of the hardest things for a father to do and I experienced that with my son Adam at the start of my racing career. My sacrifices can’t be compared to those that are serving in our military but I hope that by sharing how I was able to be an active part of my son’s childhood while being on the road and away from home can help them with the challenges they face.”
Crawford and Shinseki, the event’s keynote speaker, will be available for media interviews prior to the conference at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Members of the public wishing to attend the forum can register at https://www.circlesolutions.com/Fayettevillepublicforum/.
