A Jacksonville, Fla. man is combining his love of racing with a passion for fighting Alzheimer’s disease in the second-annual SimCraft 24 Hours of Orlando go-kart event.
Bill Slupski and his team, End Alzheimer’s Racing, are gearing up for the event, which will be held on Feb. 1-2 at the Orlando Karting Center. The team is composed of five racers who all have a personal connection to the disease, including Slupski’s 20-year-old son, Alex.
“At last year’s race, spectators and fellow competitors came up to me, sharing their personal stories of how they’ve also been impacted by the disease. When I initially chose the Alzheimer’s Association as our beneficiary, I had no idea how many of us had a direct Alzheimer’s connection,” said Slupski. “This just shows the enormous impact of this disease, and why fundraising for care, services, programs and research is so important.”
Over 35 teams are registered to race this year, including End Alzheimer’s Racing. The team is selling merchandise to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, and will have multiple fundraisers at the event itself. Slupski hopes to raise $5,000 in donations.
Funds raised by Slupski’s go-kart team will go towards The Longest Day campaign, an Alzheimer’s Association fundraising initiative that encourages participants to combat the disease through the activity of their choice. While the campaign focuses on the summer solstice, the day with the most sunlight, their efforts continue year-round to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research.
The 2020 SimCraft 24 Hours of Orlando event will take place from Saturday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 2 at the Orlando Kart Center, located at 10694 Cosmonaut Blvd. in Orlando, Fla. The race will begin on Saturday at 12 p.m. and conclude on Sunday at 12 p.m., and is free to attend for spectators.
To learn more about the event, check out its official Facebook event page here. If you’re interested in supporting End Alzheimer’s Racing, you can make a donation here.