Jody Fisher is the top fund raiser at this year's Race Against Leukemia Weekend! $8,264.60 was raised in all. Raffle prize winners have all been notified and some are already enjoying their prizes.

New England Region SCCA hosted the 19th Race Against Leukemia Weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH and The Lodge at Belmont, NH. The weekend brought together over 300 competitors in all of the Region’s competition programs with activities ranging from a RoadRally on Friday evening, The Jeff Gordon Challenge Solo event, The RAL RallyCross, Race Against Leukemia Club Races, Track Rides and the Little LeMans Enduro. New to the program this year was XX (DoubleCross) in which competitors made runs on the JGC Solo course Saturday afternoon and on Sunday made runs on a RallyCross course at The Lodge at Belmont.

The Racing Against Leukemia weekend event, started by a member of New England Region whose young daughter had been diagnosed with leukemia, is dedicated to raising money for the UMass Memorial Foundation. Danielle is now a healthy young woman and her legacy is NER’s premiere community service project. Funds are raised from donations, pledges for participation, a raffle of items donated by members and local merchants and portions of entry fees. Many members have special reasons for participating. Top fundraiser in 2008, Jody Fisher, a college student who competes in the SSM class tells of her reasons for involvement.

"Last year I raised funds for the Race Against Leukemia in honor of my childhood friend, Beth Wyman who was diagnosed with Leukemia in memory of my Godmother Carol Pacitto. This season, with only a week before the RAL and in need of support I decided to take my chances at contacting Donald Rodman, owner of Rodman Ride for Kids who gave the commencement address at my sister’s graduation ceremony from Curry College. In addition to being intrigued by his personal story of growing up with a passion for automobiles, I was greatly influenced by his advice about the value of always giving to those in need. Mr. Rodman kindly agreed to meet with me. I told him about the SCCA’s annual RAL. In strong support of the charitable cause Mr. Rodman offered to pledge my efforts to race for a cure by graciously donating $1,000 to UMass Memorial Foundation. In his experience raising funds for child-related social service agencies in Massachusetts, Mr. Rodman was both passionate of the need and understanding of the difficulty in fundraising for charity. It is with utmost gratitude and sincere appreciation for the kindness of Mr. Donald Rodman that I was able to join the Sports Car Club of America New England Region drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Saturday, August 23rd for the 2008 Race against Leukemia."

Event champions include: DoubleCross: Warren Elliot, RAL Rally Cross FTD: Jason Baltruchi, JGC: Brian Levesque, RAL Solo PAX: Bud Collins & Chang Ho Kim; RAL Solo FTD: Robert Woodruff; Little LeMans Challenge Enduro: Peter Faill and Woody Huntington.

Prizes donated by: The Martone Family, Team O’Neil Rally School, RallyDecals.com, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, HardbarUSA.com, Racer Parts Wholesale, Fun Hondas, Hot Laps Karting Center, Krista Botsford, Cranmore Mountain, Ski Area Meadowbrook Concerts, Mount Washington Auto Road, Weirs Beach, Applebees, Fratellos Restaurant Group, LongHorn Steakhouse, Charlie Currier.

All prizes have been delivered, or mailed or notifications have been sent to the winners.

Thank you and please support our donors.