MIS Cares, under the direction of the NASCAR Foundation, will help Michigan International Speedway (MIS) strengthen its ties to the community.
“We’ve operated with a charity for quite some time, but we’ve never officially named it,†said Sammie Lukaskiewicz, MIS director of communications. “We figured it was about time.†In doing so, Lukaskiewicz said she believes it will help the speedway serve the community more efficiently. “It will allow us to get more funding and filter requests better,†she said. In the past, people have made “blanket†donations where the money goes to a general fund. Now, with the formation of MIS Cares, the speedway can direct funds to more specific locations. “It really isn’t that difficult of a process and it’s not going to change the way we do business,†Lukaskiewicz said. “Overall, it just solidifies our commitment [to the community].†Alicia Cottrell, director of government and community relations for MIS, was brought in to work on endeavors like this.
“[MIS Cares] really is her brainchild,†Lukaskiewicz said. “It’s really why she’s here — to strengthen our ties to the community. Her focus is on that.â€