Dawson Melton Is Stock Car Racing To Raise Donations For The MUSC Children’s Hospital

Dawson Melton Is Stock Car Racing To Raise Donations For The MUSC Children’s Hospital

by July 29, 2019 0 comments

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Ever since Dawson Melton was about three-years-old, he has always had a passion to help others.

Whether it has been an organized church event or an individual effort, Melton has grown up trying to raise money to benefit those who were in need. Now, the 13-year-old from Hartsville, South Carolina is raising money for the MUSC Children’s Hospital through his unique paint scheme on his No. 8 Pontiac Grand Prix race car that he competes with in the Banger division at Dillon Motor Speedway.

For just $5, individuals who want to donate to Melton’s efforts, which he has tabbed as ‘Helping Hands’, will get a hand print on the race car that will be displayed throughout the remainder of the 2019 season. Every penny of the proceeds will be donated to the MUSC Children’s Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina.

Melton’s idea spawned from a fundraising effort that his niece does while she competes in pageants. She collects donations for MUSC Health’s Happy Wheels cart fundraiser that distributes fun items to children who are in the hospital. Melton wanted to help children at the hospital as well, so now he’s asking the motorsports community for help.

“I just thought about it, because my niece does pageants, and she does a thing from MUSC, so I wanted to do something for it,” Melton said. “Just to donate to help out a little bit.

“I want to try and cover the whole car with handprints.”

Melton began racing three years ago when he was just 10-years-old in the Mini Cup division. His mother, Karen was also racing in the same division until she got injured in a crash at Carteret County Speedway. Following the hard crash, the family sold their Mini Cup race cars and took a year off. This season, Dawson Melton has returned to the cockpit and has moved up to the Banger division.

“I got started, because with my momma racing and everything, made me want to get a race car and start racing and everything else,” Melton said. “I raced with her three years ago, and then we got rid of them (Mini Cups) and moved up to the Banger class and then just started racing the Bangers a little bit.”

Melton is a regular competitor at Dillon Motor Speedway, which is a 4/10th mile asphalt oval in Dillon, South Carolina. Most anytime the Bangers are competing, you can find him wheeling his Pontiac around the track.

Melton’s fundraising efforts have been hindered a little by rained shortened events. If you’re unable to attend Banger races at Dillon Motor Speedway, you can email his mother at trouble_29550@yahoo.com for more information on how to donate.

Photo Credit: Karen Melton

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