HAMPTON, Ga.(Feb. 18, 2019) Before the engines are started in Atlanta's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR competition, a special flyover tribute will take place to recognize and honor United States military service-members. Folds of HonorFounder Major Dan Rooney will pilot one of the four fighter planes during the honorary flyover prior to the race's start.
Maj. Rooney, known by his fighter squadron as "Noonan," is a former F-16 fighter pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Maj. Rooney's current assignment is with the 301stFighter Squadron and they will join with the 2ndFighter Training Squadron to fly four T-38's over the Atlanta Motor Speedway during a moment of silence to honor current and former U.S. military service-members.
Shortly after returning from his second tour as an F-16 fighter pilot in Iraq, Maj. Rooney experienced a life-changing moment witnessing the "other side of war," as a Corporal escorted his twin brother home from Iraq. Maj. Rooney watched the fallen soldier's four-year-old son standing helpless on the airport tarmac as an American flag draped a casket down the cargo ramp.
Shortly after, Maj. Rooney dedicated his life to changing the future of America's grieving spouses and children, founding Folds of Honor in 2007. The nonprofit organization's mission is to provide educational scholarships to spouses and children of America's fallen and disabled service-members.
The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR race will take place at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 24 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga.
QuikTrip Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1958, QuikTrip has grown to a more than $11 billion company with 750+ stores in 11 states. QuikTrip gives back to the communities it serves, donating five percent of net profits to charitable organizations in those communities. With over 20,000 employees, QuikTrip has consistently been ranked as one of the top convenience store marketers in product quality and friendly service. To find out more about QuikTrip, visit www.quiktrip.com.
Folds of Honor is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization, rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and platinum on GuideStar, that provides educational scholarships to the families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States armed forces. Our educational scholarships support private educational tuition and tutoring for children in grades K-12, as well as higher education tuition assistance for spouses and dependents. Founded in 2007 by Major Dan Rooney, a PGA Professional and F-16 fighter pilot in the Air Force Reserves who served three tours of duty in Iraq, the Folds of Honor is proud to have awarded nearly 20,000 scholarships in all 50 states and some US territories, including approximately 4,000 in 2018 alone. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship and to learn more, please visit foldsofhonor.org.