How do you comfort a child that has just had everything ripped away? Not only do children experience what are the scariest storms of their lives, but many lose all their cherished toys, stuffed animals, blankets, and even the places they’ve always called “home.”
Play Pails were created to provide peace and comfort to the little hearts and minds left spinning after disaster strikes. Each Play Pail includes a teddy bear, blanket, flashlight, coloring book, crayons, hygiene items and other supplies chosen specifically to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a child facing the chaotic aftermath of disaster. Play Pails are packed at God’s Pit Crew headquarters, as well as Mobile Packing Events, and then dispatched to areas struck by unexpected disaster.
In 2024, God’s Pit Crew volunteer Judy Simmons was recognized as the winner of The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award for her efforts in the Play Pail Ministry!
The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award recognizes NASCAR fans who volunteer for children’s causes in their local racing communities, with the winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to further the efforts of the nonprofit they serve within.
“Judy is an incredible person doing impactful work for families that have experienced hardship due to natural disasters, especially during the difficult times faced in Western North Carolina this year,” said Nichole Krieger, The NASCAR Foundation Vice President and Executive Director. “The $100,000 she won for God’s Pit Crew will allow them to continue providing essential items for kids and families in need in times of major weather event or crisis. Both Judy and her organization are very deserving of this award.”
In her six years at God’s Pit Crew, Simmons has provided hope for countless children by volunteering in the ministry’s Play Pail department. Play Pails are three-gallon containers filled with resources carefully chosen to meet a child’s spiritual, physical, and emotional needs following a natural disaster. Items such as teddy bears, blankets, crayons, hairbrushes, and much more are lovingly packed inside the Play Pails, and then placed into the hands of children impacted by disaster.
Simmons shared that being able to provide hope for children experiencing these heartbreaking situations means so much to her because of her own childhood experience.
“I know what it was like to not have anything of my own growing up, so I want to make sure these children feel loved and cared for even in the chaos around them. When you bring those Play Pails and give them to the kids, those are their own little things to hold onto because they’ve lost everything else,” explained Simmons. “Kids have always been a big part of my heart.”
