DARLINGTON, S.C. – Darlington Raceway welcomed volunteers, partners and a NASCAR star on Tuesday for a meaningful day of service, as Coca-Cola Consolidated teamed up with Harvest Hope Food Bank to support communities across South Carolina.

As part of a broader initiative to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary by honoring the shared American experience, Coca-Cola Consolidated is organizing community-driven events across the country in partnership with local food banks. The Darlington Raceway event brought that mission to life, rallying volunteers to help address food insecurity throughout the state.

Joining the effort was NASCAR Cup Series standout and Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Daniel Suárez, who worked alongside volunteers from Coca-Cola Consolidated, Harvest Hope Food Bank and Darlington Raceway to pack food boxes destined for families in need.

In total, volunteers packed 1,020 boxes containing essential pantry items, including black beans, spaghetti, green beans, oatmeal, peanut butter, tomato sauce and tuna. These efforts resulted in approximately 8,500 meals, contributing to Harvest Hope’s annual distribution of 25 million meals and Coca-Cola Consolidated’s America250 initiative to pack 250,000 meals in 2026.

“Darlington Raceway has always been proud to serve as more than just a world-class racing venue — we’re a gathering place for community impact,” said Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. “Partnering with Coca-Cola Consolidated, and Harvest Hope Food Bank to support families across South Carolina is an honor. Today showed the power of coming together to make a real difference in people’s lives.”

Finished boxes will be returned to Harvest Hope for distribution across its network of agency partners serving 20 counties throughout the Upstate, Midlands and Pee Dee regions, including locations in Florence, Columbia and Greenville.

“For me, being part of NASCAR is about more than what happens on the track,” Suárez said. “Giving back to the community and helping families who need it most is incredibly important. It was inspiring to see so many people come together today to support South Carolina families.”

Additional notable volunteers included Valerie Williams, Community Relations Manager at Coca-Cola Consolidated, Sy Hughes, Harvest Hope Interim CEO, and Savannah Lominac, Fulfillment Manager at Harvest Hope Food Bank. All of the volunteers played key roles and contributed to the ongoing commitment of Darlington Raceway and its partners to strengthen communities and celebrate the spirit of service that unites Americans.

Darlington Raceway’s next event is the Speed & Feed BBQ Festival & Car Show on Saturday, May 16. The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS)-sanctioned competition will pit BBQ teams from across the country. In addition, there will be vintage street cars and racing vehicles from Stock Car Classics on display, along with a host of food and retail vendors and a Kids Zone. The NASCAR Racing Experience will be on track for guest rides around the Track Too Tough To Tame.

Racing returns Labor Day Weekend with the first race of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Chase on Saturday, Sept. 5, followed by the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, Sept. 6. It will be the first race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase.

For the latest information on all Darlington Raceway events, visit www.darlingtonraceway.com.

About Darlington Raceway

Darlington Raceway, nicknamed The Lady in Black and the Track Too Tough To Tame, annually hosts two NASCAR Cup Series race weekends, along with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and/or NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Opening in 1950, Darlington Raceway is “A NASCAR Tradition” and NASCAR’s original superspeedway with its famed 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval, challenging the sports best in one of the most iconic NASCAR races, the Southern 500®. For more information about Darlington Raceway, visit darlingtonraceway.com. Stay connected to Darlington Raceway on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the NASCAR Tracks App.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 15 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.  

About Coca-Cola Consolidated
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Coca-Cola Consolidated (NASDAQ: COKE) is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. We make, sell and distribute beverages of The Coca-Cola Company, and other partner companies, in more than 300 brands and flavors across 14 states and the District of Columbia, to approximately 60 million consumers.

For over 124 years, we have been deeply committed to the consumers, customers and communities we serve and passionate about the broad portfolio of beverages and services we offer. Our Purpose is to honor God in all we do, to serve others, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably.

More information about the Company is available at www.cokeconsolidated.com. Follow Coca-Cola Consolidated on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Source/Photo Credit: Darlington Raceway