LIHU‘E — The Garden Isle Racing Association grabbed some attention on Wednesday when a pair of race-ready cars — the No. 1 and No. 2 cars of the Super Pro class from the Ladies Night races on Aug. 12 — rumbled into the Wilcox Medical Center parking lot and came to a stop outside the south entrance to the medical center.
“Did you hear us?” said Rob Nelson, a GIRA board member, wanting to know as he greeted Wilcox Medical dignitaries emerging from the south entry.
The GIRA team included Todd Burns of Pacific Service & Development NAPA Auto Parts, and Taylor Montemayor, the third generation of Montemayor racing, and the winner of the NAPA Ladies Night racing. The team made a pit stop at Wilcox Medical Center to present a check for $6,000 for its Women’s Center operations.
The Women’s Center at Wilcox is a vital resource for women across the island, states a Hawai‘i Pacific Health release. During last year, Wilcox teams completed more than 9,000 mammograms. In addition to mammography and other screenings, the Women’s Center offers comprehensive services for diagnostics and imaging.
“Wilcox Medical Center appreciates this generous donation from the Garden Isle Racing Association,” said Jen Chahanovich, the president and CEO of Wilcox Medical Center and CEO of Kaua‘i Medical Clinic. “The GIRA fundraiser demonstrates how our community comes together to support each other.”
The donation total was raised through proceeds from gate entries, and prize drawings held throughout the Aug. 12 drag racing event at Mana Raceway Park.
Burns, representing the title sponsor NAPA Auto Parts for the annual NAPA Ladies Night event, said it was an honor to host an event that helps the women of Kaua‘i.
“It was a thrill to partner with Wilcox Medical Center for this great event,” said Nelson, who happened to be the driver of the No. 1 Super Pro Firebird. “Mahalo to all the businesses that donated, as well as all the drag racers and fans for their support.”
To learn more about the Women’s Center at Wilcox Medical Center, visit WilcoxHealth.org, or call 808-245-1030.
The next race on the GIRA drag racing calendar will be night races — Southern Turf Super Pro Shootout — on Sept. 2 and 3, the Labor Day weekend at the Kaua‘i Raceway Park in Mana. Tickets are available online at The FOAT Ticketing at tickets.thefoat.com/GardenIsle.
For more information, visit dragracekauai.com.
