INDIANAPOLIS — Race week in August, not May. No fans at the Motor Speedway to watch the Indianapolis 500. And no downtown parade.
Mandated COVID-19 cancellations have taken their toll on the city's biggest event and many of its traditions this year, and the 500 Festival has felt the impact on its social calendar and its bottom line.
The Festival - the nonprofit organization that provides events and programs to celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 - is holding a donation “drive-thru” fundraiser benefiting the 500 Festival Foundation on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the McDonald’s restaurant at 6056 W. 71st St. just east of Interstate 465 in Indianapolis.
Earlier this year, the 500 Festival announced it would not produce its traditional calendar of events in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the 500 Festival and the 500 Festival Foundation use revenues from registrations and ticket sales to these in-person events to support free health and education programs for more than 100,000 Hoosier youth. The fundraiser at McDonald’s will help mitigate the financial impact to the Festival and Foundation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fundraiser will include a special drive-thru lane, staffed by 500 Festival Princesses and other employees, in the McDonald’s parking lot so the community can make donations to the Foundation.
The restaurant will also donate a portion of the day’s sales to the 500 Festival Foundation. Cash and credit card donations will be accepted from 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20.
Bob Bryant, president and CEO of the 500 Festival, said in announcing the fundraiser, “We are one of the many nonprofit organizations facing hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to be blown away by the tremendous community support, like that of McDonald’s and the Poore Organization, to help keep our events and programs around for the future."
The staff and 500 Festival Princesses will practice social distancing and wear face coverings throughout the outdoor fundraiser. Donors are asked to remain in their cars and contactless cash donations will be accepted. Any donor who contributes $25 or more during this Aug. 20 drive-thru fundraiser will receive a commemorative 500 Festival thank you gift, while supplies last.
