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Officials from the Bristol Motor Speedway chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) had one million reasons to smile Thursday night as they proudly announced a record fundraising achievement in 2024.

SCC-Bristol executive director Claudia Byrd was emotional when she announced the record total of $1,028,325 would be distributed during the special event, where SCC allocates grants to representatives of the child-focused agencies it serves in an 18-county area throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

It is the second time the organization has exceeded the $1 million mark. The previous record of $1,002,380 was set in 2016. The new sum increases SCC-Bristol’s total raised to more than $21 million since the organization’s inception in 1997.

“We’re so thankful to the people who supported and joined our effort to help us meet the needs of children in our region and contributed to this record-breaking achievement,” said Byrd, executive director of Speedway Children’s Charities Bristol chapter. “On behalf of the countless volunteers, trustees and staff members that it takes to coordinate and produce Speedway Children’s Charities events throughout the year, we offer a huge heartfelt thank you.”

Mountain Mission School, located in Grundy, Va., received the prestigious Jeff Byrd Grant. Presented in honor of the late president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, the $50,000 award, which was established in 2011, is the largest single grant presented each year. The funds will renovate Mountain Mission’s existing chapel, which has long served as the epicenter of campus and student activities. Mountain Mission School was founded in 1921 by Sam Hurley and serves an at-risk student population of 175 of mostly orphaned, homeless or abused children from all over the world. Mountain Mission School has cared for an estimated 20,000 children in its history.

The annual Night of Smiles is the culmination of a year of SCC-Bristol fundraising events, including The Food City Speedway In Lights, which opened for its 28th season Friday. 

Long hailed as the premier holiday display in the Appalachian Highlands Region, The Food City Speedway in Lights powered by TVA spreads across a five-mile route illuminated by more than three million lights among 300 displays, including 40 brand new displays in the popular Santa’s Safari section. A trip through the light show sends guests down alongside historic Bristol Dragway and all throughout the property, including a lap around the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway half-mile oval.

Organizations that received funding from SCC-Bristol during tonight’s Night of Smiles are as follows:

4thirTEEN of Johnson City

Abortion Alternatives/TLC Community Center

Abuse Alternatives Inc.

Appalachia Service Project

Appalachian Community Action and Development

Assistance and Resource Ministries, Inc.

Ballad Health/Niswonger Children’s Network

Barns at Blue Mountain Inc.

Bethany Christian Services

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Appalachia

Boys & Girls Clubs of Elizabethton

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kingsport

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greeneville & Greene Co.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Johnson City/Washington Co.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Morristown, Inc.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mountain Empire

Bread of Life Food Pantry, Inc.

Bristol Emergency Food Pantry Board

Bristol Faith in Action

Bristol Regional Speech & Hearing

Bristol’s Promise

Cap the Gap for Foster Care

Carter County Foster Care Association

CASA For Kids, Inc.

CASA of Northeast Tennessee

Child Abuse Reporting & Enforcement Center of SWVA

Child Advocacy Center of the 3rd Judicial District

Children’s Advocacy Center of Highlands Community

Children’s Advocacy Center of First Judicial District

Children’s Advocacy Center of Sullivan County

Coalition For Kids, Inc.

Communities In Schools of Appalachian Highlands

Community Help Center of Northeast Tennessee Crossroads Medical Mission, Inc.

Crumley House Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center

DePaul Community Resources

Doe River Gorge Ministries, Inc.

East TN Christian Home & Academy

Family Crisis Support Services, Inc.

Feeding Southwest Virginia

Girls Inc. of Bristol

Girls Inc. of Kingsport

Girls on the Run Northeast Tennessee

Good Samaritan Ministries

Grace Manor, Inc.

Greater Kingsport Family YMCA

Healing Hands Health

Holston Home for Children

Hope House of Scott County, Inc.

Horton Charity

Isaiah 117 House

Jeremiah School

Jericho Shriners

Kingswood Home for Children

Lunchbox276

LXI, Inc.

McClure River Valley Development Center, Inc.

Morrison School

Morristown Hamblen Central Services, Inc.

Mountain Kids, Inc.

Mountain Mission School, Inc. 

Mountain Region Speech and Hearing Center

Positive Thinkers, Inc.

Ridin’ High Inc.

Rise Up For Kids

Santa Pal, Inc.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee

Shepherd’s Inn

Simple Methods in Loving Everyone

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc.

Somebody Loves Me, Inc.

Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House, Inc.

St. Anthony Bread Food Pantry

Sullivan County Family Justice Center / Branch House

Synergy Foundation, Inc.

Teen Venture Center

Unicoi County Family YMCA

Waiting to Hear

WMCA of Bristol

Young Life Upper East TN

Young Life Bristol

Young Life Kingsport

Youth Villages, Inc.

YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia