NASCAR driver, Alex Bowman and SchoolTipline.com have announced a joint venture where the 19-year old driver will become the face of the company’s “Driving Away Bullies” campaign. The announcement was made by Kevin Wright CEO of RightWay Nutrition, entrepreneur and philanthropist, whose gracious donation is funding the campaign. A director and board member of the Safe To Talk Foundation, Wright along with his wife Annette, helped to create the campaign whose mission it is to provide a safe haven and outlet for kids, who are being bullied, while providing a firm backdrop for suicide prevention.
SchoolTipline.com was founded as a platform to give students, parents, and faculty alike an outlet to report bullying, weapon possession, drug use, etc. in schools. Completely anonymous, students can report bullying and other incidents via text messages. Administrators receiving the texts can respond, opening bridges of two-way communication. This system empowers students to make positive changes, so schools can return to a safe place of learning.
The relationship between Bowman and SchoolTipline.com will run throughout the 2013 Nationwide Series season and commences Friday, April 12th at the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Bowman’s RAB Racing #99 car will be sporting a brand new look, fully branded for the SchoolTipline.com.
Wright is donating SchoolTipline.com‘s services to Gene Pike Middle School in Justin, Texas beginning with a school wide assembly this Thursday, April 11th at 2 pm. Bowman will accompany Wright to the school where they will speak to the student body to ensure the kids know how to fully utilize SchoolTipline.com, thus making the school a safer place to report bullying and promote suicide prevention. Bowman will reaffirm his commitment to this cause by speaking to middle school students in each city the Nationwide Series runs for the remainder of the season.
Bowman said, “As a teenager, it’s still fresh in my mind what kids of all ages go through when confronted with bullying. Whether in person or on the Internet, bullying is a real issue that effects every kid. I am honored to represent SchoolTipline.com to millions of people each week on the track, and to be able to have the opportunity to look kids in the eye each week to share my passion. I want to let students know there is a safe place where they can report trouble, find solutions and understand that they are not alone.”
Wright was introduced to Bowman via Shark Tank’s Daymond John, his good friend and business associate. In addition to putting Wright and Bowman together, John consulted on the branding of the car and fire suit in light of the partnership with SchoolTipline.com.
Wright describes his motivation for participating by saying: “Daymond John and I are close friends and have had some very successful business dealings in the past. After he invited me to a few races to meet Alex, I realized Daymond was right when he was quoted in the USA Today saying ‘Alex is a Rock Star!’ Along with Daymond and my wife Annette, we created the “Driving Away Bullies” campaign. The combination of Daymond John, Alex Bowman, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule truly provides SchoolTipline.com all the tools needed to successfully run this promotion to combat bullying on a national platform.”
Bowman races for RAB Racing with Brack Maggard, who opened their doors in 2005 and have established itself as one of the top teams in the motorsports industry. Since joining the team, Bowman’s willingness to employ non-traditional methods to articulate his persona has gained a lot of national media attention with ESPN, Yahoo, USA Today, NASCAR.com and more. Bowman currently is 10th in overall points and is in contention for Nationwide Rookie of the Year, highlighted by two top-ten finishes including a third place finish at Daytona’s DRIVE4COPD 300 in February.
RAB Racing PR
