Kiwanians revving up the service at the Texas Motor Speedway
Vicki Baker
Kiwanis Club RR cruised on down to the Texas Motor Speedway, the site of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Nascar Race. But we didn’t sit behind the wheel of the snarling, rumbling engines and travel at insane speeds in cars plastered with ads driving around in a circle and turning left for hours on end. Nor were we a part of the pit crew tweaking suspension setups, replacing worn tires and repairing broken or bent bits.
Nope, we held an even more important role: servicing the hundreds of hungry Nascar fans at the Legends Bar and Grill on the fourth floor of the Speedway Club! It comes as no surprise that operating the food services at the Speedway requires its share of staffing. Levy Restaurants, the official caterer of the Texas Motor Speedway, allows non-profit organizations to work in its food services and has partnered with the Kiwanis Club to support the restaurant during race weekends. In exchange for our hard work, Levy “pays” each Kiwanian for their shift work, moneys which in turn go into the club’s coffers.
The Kiwanis Club steered into this partnership with Levy nine years ago and services three races each year in April, June and November. Anyone over 18 years old (we’ve got that covered) can work the race, but each person must be TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) certified and must take a RCS (Regulatory Compliance Services) training course. We then work alongside Levy employees who are responsible for restaurant management and all food preparation. Our job: ensure the food and beverage stations are fully stocked, bus tables and run the cash registers. Pretty much the same jobs we all held during our high school years.
It was a great fundraising opportunity benefiting the Kiwanis Club, Levy Restaurants and the charities we support. As we crossed the finish line at the end of the day working side-by-side with our corporate partner, everyone was a winner! Together we achieved so much more as “teamwork made the dream work.” Interested in joining a winning team? Then come for a test drive at the Kiwanis Club meetings held the first and third Fridays of each month at 8:30 a.m. in the Clubhouse. For more information contact Jim Galbraith at [email protected].