Sept. 26, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
In partnership with the Hickory Motor Speedway (HMS), the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) hosted its 4th annual Race United event on Sept. 13, during HMS’s championship night for their season.
Along with being a free night of racing and fireworks, it was also an opportunity for community outreach. There was a non-profit Resource Fair with more than 20 local agencies and a food drive focused on meeting the growing issue of food insecurity.
The food drive collected more than 2,200 non-perishable items (twice as much as in 2024) and its impact was felt immediately.
“The cost of groceries is hitting families hard, and I’m raising the alarm everywhere that this is the biggest need that I see,” John Hall, Social Services Program Manager for The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory said. “In just the past three months, the demand of the folks coming into the crisis center looking for food has consistently grown.”
Donations from the United Way food drive were equally distributed to The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory, Ashure Ministry in Newton, The Hickory Soup Kitchen and The Corner Table in Newton.
These are just four of the county’s food resources for families struggling to make ends meet. More than two dozen similar agencies/programs of various sizes exist throughout Catawba County.
In 2024, Ashure Ministry distributed 3.2 million pounds of food through its food pantry. The Corner Table Community Kitchen served 61,825 lunch meals, and the Hickory Soup Kitchen served 85,693 plates of food. In the month of July, The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory served 57 households with a total of 156 members just in Catawba County.
The Catawba County United Way also thanks the Race United sponsors for 2025. They insured it was a free night of championship racing and fireworks at Hickory Motor Speedway for the nearly 2,000 individuals who attended the event.
2025 Race United Sponsors:
- Franny's Farmacy
- Shuford Yarns
- Pepsi Cola Bottling Co.
- Century Furniture, LLC
- Paramount Automotive Group
- Corning Optical Communications
- Peoples Bank
- Truist Bank
- Shurtape Technologies
- Duke Energy - Marshall Steam Station
The CCUW want to thank the volunteers who helped sort, separate and count the food donations.
Learn more about the Catawba County United Way’s outreach efforts and how you can get involved at ccunitedway.com or call 828-327-6851.
