As the area prepares for the upcoming race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, the folks at Food City are gearing up for the running of the August 22nd Food City 300.    

Company officials recently announced that a gathering of at least ten Medal of Honor recipients will serve as the event Grand Marshals.  Numerous public officials and well-known figures have been privileged to give the command for the start of the Food City showdown, one of the most popular Nationwide Series races on the NASCAR schedule.  

‘The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.  Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress.’  The historic assembly will include Medal of Honor recipients Sammy Davis, Joe Marm, Jim Taylor, Ron Rosser and Hal Fritz, President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.  

“Our region is privileged to be hosting the Medal of Honor Convention in Knoxville, Tennessee in September of this year.  Food City is proud to serve as a major sponsor for the event,” says Food City president and chief executive officer Steven C. Smith.  “It’s an honor to have such a valiant group of  individuals represent our company as this year’s Grand Marshals.”

U.S. Army Veteran and Paralympic Alpine Skier Heath Calhoun has been named Honorary Starter.  ‘A retired Army Staff Sgt., Calhoun has gone from the battlefield to the ski slopes, all in the name of representing his country – first in the military and now as an athlete’.  

‘Born in Bristol, Tennessee, Calhoun is a native of Grundy, Virginia.  At a young age, he earned respect for the U.S. military.  His father served in Vietnam and his grandfather in World War II, and in 1999, Calhoun made the decision to carry on his family's dedication to the military and to the service of his country by enlisting in the U.S. Army.  While deployed in Iraq, Calhoun served as Squad Leader for the 101st Airborne Division.  He was severely wounded when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his Humvee in 2003, resulting in the amputation of both of his legs above the knee.  For his service, Calhoun received a Purple Heart’.

‘As he was learning to walk on prosthetics during rehabilitation, Calhoun learned about the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), which provides programs and support for wounded service members, and through the program was introduced to adaptive skiing.  Calhoun is an advocate for wounded warriors and helped to get the Wounded Warrior Bill passed through Congress in 2005.  Then in 2007, the WWP awarded him the George C. Lang Award for Courage in honor of his achievements’.

‘In 2006, Calhoun began training with the USOC Paralympic Military Program in alpine skiing through a partner organization, Challenge Aspen, in Snowmass, Colo. He is now a certified mono-ski instructor’.  Calhoun competed in the 2010 and 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, taking home the silver.  

“We are humbled to have the opportunity to host such an esteemed group of veterans.  We are excited to welcome them to the World’s Fastest Half Mile in recognition of their sacrifice, dedication and service to our country.” says Smith.

Food City is Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest running sponsor and the second longest in NASCAR.  The Food City 300 gets under way at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 22, 2014.  Qualifying for the event takes place at 3:40 p.m. on Friday.  Tickets are still available and may be purchased at www.bristoltix.com or by calling the BMS ticket office at 423-BRISTOL (274-7865).

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 106 retail food outlets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.  

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary. The Company also equally-owns Motorsports Authentics, a joint venture formed with International Speedway Corporation to produce, market and sell licensed motorsports merchandise. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.speedwaymotorsports.com.