O’FALLON, Mo. -- The Flowmaster American Drag Racing League (ADRL) presented by the National Guard has donated $60,000 worth of tickets for its July 25-26 national event at Maryland International Raceway (MIR) to the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. The ICSCI created the world’s first program focusing on spinal-cord injuries in children and offers hope for children and adults experiencing disorders of paralysis, regardless of how long ago the injury occurred.

All sale proceeds from the 2,000 donated tickets will benefit the ICSCI, which is associated with Johns Hopkins Hospital, recently named number one for the 18th consecutive year in U.S. News & World Report's annual list of best American hospitals.

“On behalf of the ADRL, our sponsors, racers and fans, I’m happy to pledge our support to such a worthy cause,” ADRL Vice President Jeff Fortune said. “Our business is drag racing, but everyone is affected by advances in science and medicine, so we view it as an honor to help Kennedy Krieger in its research and care of spinal-cord injuries.”

World-renowned neurologist Dr. John W. McDonald directs the ICSCI and his Activity-Based Restoration (ABR) therapy is acknowledged as a major contributing factor to the substantial recovery of actor/activist Christopher Reeve. He said donations like the ADRL offers are “critically important” to accelerating the mission and vision of the ICSCI, which is developing and applying advanced therapies to maximize recovery from paralysis.
“Such generous private-sector donations allow our researchers to mobilize rapidly around recent discoveries in ways not possible with longer-range, committed federal-supported research funds,” McDonald said. “With this single donation, the ADRL makes a demonstrable contribution towards helping develop solutions to overcome paralysis.”

Patrick Rummerfield, the world’s first fully Functional quadriplegic, works with Dr. McDonald as community liaison at the ICSCI. He also has been a presenter for the ADRL’s trackside Guarding Our Youth Experience, as well as recently obtained his drag racing license.

“Fundraising opportunities such as the ticket donation made possible by the ADRL are vital to the ICSCI, and particularly meaningful in these demanding economic times,” Rummerfield stated. “The ADRL’s record-breaking attendance provides an excellent opportunity for the center and good entertainment value for ticket buyers. We are eternally grateful to the ADRL for their generosity and support.”

Tickets to the inaugural ADRL 1-800-GO-GUARD.com U.S. Drags at Maryland International Raceway in Budd’s Creek, Maryland, are available for sale now through the ICSCI at (443) 923-9211.

For more information visit:
www.ADRL.us
www.KennedyKrieger.org

ABOUT FLOWMASTER
Flowmaster, Inc. is housed in two ultra-modern facilities in Santa Rosa and West Sacramento, California, together totaling over 400,000 square feet. Flowmaster employs over 250 workers dedicated to building the highest quality U.S.-made exhaust products available. Flowmaster’s product line includes exhaust products for Performance Street, Muscle Cars, Trucks, Street Rods, RVs, Motorhomes, and all types of race applications. With more than 400 different muffler models, 370-plus exhaust systems and numerous exhaust accessories available, Flowmaster offers the choice to fit your specific vehicle needs, or your sound preference from "wild to mild." For more information on Flowmaster, visit http://www.flowmaster.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GUARD
The National Guard is the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation’s longest enduring institutions. The National Guard operates in all 50 states, three territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands) and the District of Columbia. For more information on the National Guard, visit http://www.1-800-GO-GUARD.com.

ABOUT THE ADRL
Based in O’Fallon, Missouri, the American Drag Racing League is the nation’s premier sanctioning body for the sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The professional categories featured in the ADRL are Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous, and Pro Extreme, the quickest doorslammer class in all of drag racing. The 2008 Flowmaster ADRL series presented by the National Guard consists of nine national events run throughout the United States. For more information on the ADRL, visit http://www.ADRL.us.