Worldwide Express to Host Toy and Supply Drive to Benefit UMFS and Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Driver meet and greets, ticket donations and prize raffles among activities leading into NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the events leading into the upcoming Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation race on August 13 at Richmond Raceway, Worldwide Express ("WWEX") has partnered with local carrier, Estes, to organize a series of activities benefiting local Virginia charities, including UMFS and Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Worldwide Express will hold a toy and supply drive at Richmond Raceway, host driver meet and greets and donate race tickets to CHoR and UMFS families.

Estes will also hold a toy drive at its Richmond headquarters from August 8-19 where employees are encouraged to donate toys and supplies in need at CHoR and UMFS. Another local carrier, UPS, will receive tickets to the Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation race for teams and families at its local UPS Customer Center to attend.

"We are pleased to honor our carriers by making an impact on two organizations that are supported by Estes, one of our largest and longest-standing carrier partners. Over the years, Richmond-based Estes has made significant contributions of time and resources to Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and UMFS, and we would like to further their efforts by encouraging donations from teams, fans and the public at-large surrounding the race," said Worldwide Express President Rob Rose.

"As a family-owned company for over 90 years, our team loves supporting nonprofits and causes that go above and beyond to help children and families thrive, like UMFS and CHoR," said Rob Estes, president and CEO at Estes. "We want to thank our friends at Worldwide Express for choosing Estes as its partner to help bring toys, supplies, donations, fun and hope to these deserving organizations."

Worldwide Express will be accepting in-person toy and supply donations at the Worldwide Express Fan Zone at the Richmond Raceway Midway on Saturday, August 13, and Sunday, August 14. Each person who donates will be entered in a raffle to win driver-signed memorabilia and prizes, including a Richmond Raceway flag signed by current NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Niece Motorsports memorabilia and Trackhouse Racing items.

Wish list items for the two organizations include coloring books, books, fidget toys, LEGO toys, school-age wipeable toys, preschool toys, dinosaur figurines, PAW Patrol toys, slime kits, putty, therapeutic dough, kinetic sand, UNO card games, family card games, family board games, battery-powered room string lights, balls (sensory balls, playground balls, bouncy balls), remote control cars/vehicles, Matchbox cars, art supplies and school headphones.

"We're so grateful to be a part of this exciting opportunity through Worldwide Express. We want to help children feel comfortable and at home when they're in the hospital and having access to toys and supplies helps us do just that," said Stephanie Allan, vice president for community development at Children's Hospital Foundation. "Every dollar collected and toy donated makes a difference in a child's life at CHoR."

Fans can also make online monetary donations that will be used to purchase toys and supplies through the Worldwide Express website at wwex.com/toydrive. Online donations will be accepted beginning Monday, August 8, and will conclude at 11:59 p.m. CT on Friday, August 19. All monetary donations will be used to purchase items directly from the CHoR and UMFS wish lists and will be donated to the organizations. Worldwide Express will match all donations up to a total of $25,000.

On Thursday, August 11, Niece Motorsports drivers Dean Thompson and Carson Hocevar will make an appearance at UMFS alongside the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 winning No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet. The drivers will participate in a Q&A session, sign autographs and offer photo opportunities for UMFS students, staff and families as well as teams from the Estes corporate headquarters. UMFS is located at 3900 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230.

"UMFS is grateful to have the unwavering support from Worldwide Express and our neighbors at Estes," said Nancy Toscano, president and CEO at UMFS. "Both Estes and UMFS have been rooted in the Richmond community for decades, and because of strong community partners like Estes, we are able to better serve children, teens and families across Virginia."

Through its WWEX Racing program, Worldwide Express, along with its sister brands GlobalTranz and Unishippers, earlier this year announced a multi-year partnership with Trackhouse Racing as a primary sponsor on the No. 1 driven by Ross Chastain and No. 99 driven by Daniel Suarez. The brands also serve as the full-season, primary partner with Niece Motorsports on the No. 40 driven by Dean Thompson, the No. 41 driven by Ross Chastain for four Camping World Truck Series races and the No. 42 driven by Carson Hocevar in eight Camping World Truck Series races, which includes the Worldwide Express 250 for Carrier Appreciation at Richmond Raceway. For more information on WWEX Racing, visit www.wwexracing.com.

Worldwide Express, LLC is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering more than 115,000 customers access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions. With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $5 billion through a network of company-owned, franchise and agent locations, Worldwide Express, combined with its sister brands GlobalTranz and Unishippers, is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage in the country. As the largest non-retail UPS^® Authorized Reseller in the US, the company is a local partner for the global supply chains for shippers of all sizes, from small- to medium-sized businesses to enterprise organizations. This, coupled with a selective portfolio of more than 65 LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, provides clients with an unmatched range of options and flexibility to meet their shipping needs. To learn more, visit www.wwex.com.

Children's Hospital Foundation is dedicated to funding and advocating for pediatric initiatives that improve the status of health care and the quality of life for children in our region. The Foundation provides support for the programs and initiatives of Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and the more than 70,000 children and families it serves each year. Children's Hospital Foundation depends on the support of individuals, businesses and other organizations to help us continue our mission of supporting excellence in health care for children.

In 2020, CHoR marked 100 years of treating all children in need of care. CHoR was recently verified as a Level I Children's Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children's Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program (ACS CSV), one of only 30 verified children's surgery centers in the country and the 10th on the East Coast to attain this highest level of designation.

UMFS is a statewide, nonprofit agency providing unwavering support and resources to children, teens, and families as they work to conquer behavioral, emotional, and mental health challenges. UMFS was founded in 1900 as an orphanage in Richmond, and today it provides services ranging from treatment foster care to residential treatment at nine locations across the commonwealth, impacting nearly 13,775 children, teens, and family members. UMFS believes children and teens do better when they are with families, which is why it offers 18 programs specializing in family creation and preservation. Find out more at https://www.umfs.org.

Estes is the largest, privately owned freight carrier in North America. As an asset-based transportation provider with a global footprint, Estes always goes the extra mile to deliver reliable freight solutions and exceptional service that keep its customers coming back. Ethical and honest, with over 90-years of freight shipping expertise, Estes has worked through the decades to build a robust fleet and vast network of over 10,000 doors and 265 terminals nationwide. And the company's comprehensive transportation solutions are backed by its continued investment in technology resources, as well as the support of over 20,000 fiercely committed employees. Estes offers comprehensive freight shipping solutions, including Less Than Truckload (LTL), Volume and Truckload, Time Critical Guaranteed, Custom Shipping and Logistics, and Final Mile. For more information, please visit https://www.estes-express.com.

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