NASCAR'S David Ragan Named Honorary Chairman of LuMind Foundation's 1st Annual Race for Research

MARLBORO, Mass. - April 10, 2014 - PRLog -- The LuMind Foundation (http://www.lumindfoundation.org/) announces its inaugural Race for Research, a three-day road rally and scavenger hunt to raise funds for Down syndrome cognition research.

Honorary Co-Chairs, David Ragan, third-generation NASCAR driver, and his wife, Jacquelyn, will helm the event, set for June 16-18, 2014. Teams of friends and supporters navigate from the green flag at the Richard Petty Museum and to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte with pit stops honoring NASCAR legends and history.

The Ragans join LuMind Foundation to help improve opportunities for people with Down syndrome. David Ragan’s older brother Adam was born with an extra chromosome: Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome.

“The Race for Research is a chance for NASCAR fans to meet some of the sport’s legends, journey through racing history and also fund research that one day may improve learning and memory in those with Down syndrome, including my brother Adam,” David Ragan said.

Two-person teams in ordinary cars (with sponsor decals, of course) begin the competition on June 16 at the Richard Petty Museum in Randleman, North Carolina and navigate through NASCAR country to the checkered flag on June 18 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

During “pit stops,” the participants will complete a scavenger hunt task as they get a chance to look behind the scenes of famous speedways and meet some of David Ragan’s racing friends. Pit stops instantly recognizable to any NASCAR fan include:

 Richard Petty Museum

·         Childress Winery

·         Bowman Gray Stadium

·         Martinsville Speedway

·         Woods Brothers Racing

·         Bristol Motor Speedway

·         Hickory Motor Speedway

·         Front Row Motorsports

·         Dale Earnhardt Museum

·         Earnhardt Tribute Plaza

·         Charlotte Motor Speedway

·         Roush Fenway Racing

·         Richard Petty Motorsport

·         NASCAR R&D

·         Hendrick Motorsports

·         NASCAR Hall of Fame

“Cognition research for Down syndrome has made tremendous strides over the last few years, and these new discoveries are now fueling several promising clinical trials," Ragan said. "But a lack of funding is a major reason why my brother and the more than 250,000 Americans living with Down syndrome don't have access to treatments yet,” he added.

Sign up your team now and experience the thrills of NASCAR racing while you raise funds for important cognitive development research. For more information on the Race for Research and to sign up for a team or donate to an event participant, visit: http://www.dsrtfraceforresearch.org.

About LuMind Foundation

LuMind Foundation, formerly the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation (DSRTF), is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, aimed at accelerating the development of treatments to significantly improve cognition, including memory, learning and speech, for individuals with Down syndrome. LuMind Foundation funds research at major research centers, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, Stanford University, University of California, San Diego, and University of Arizona. Since its founding in 2004, LuMind Foundation has committed more than $9 million to fund results-driven research programs that will benefit children and adults with Down syndrome, and has been instrumental in the initiation of clinical trials now under way.