Fresh of the yearly success of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a now-annual October activism campaign embraced by many in the Nascar community, Nascar has announced that starting this year, November will be known as Nascar Awareness Month.
“We feel that its important that fans are aware of Nascar, and that November—with the conclusion of our annual Playoffs, is the perfect time to experience it”, said a Nascar spokesman. “We will be working with fans, corporations, and other sports nationwide to help spread our message to the public at-large.
While Awareness Months are usually limited to charitable organizations, Nascar has stated that its aims are, in a sense, of a charitable nature.
“While this program will not benefit the Nascar Foundation per se, we feel that Nascar is in a position in which awareness is to its greatest benefit”, the spokesman said. “We feel that with the sport at the lowest its been in years in terms of at-track attendance and tv ratings, the time is now for fans to join us for the inevitable rebound. And by doing so, fans will be given the greatest charity of all—relevance and the ‘cool factor’ we all want so much.”
To support the campaign, Nascar has unveiled its very own “awareness ribbon” that teams will be encouraged to sport on their cars for the final month of the season. Furthermore, fans will be given “call to action” brochures at next week’s race in order to kick-off the campaign.
“Are your friends aware of Nascar?”, the brochure reads. “If not, they should be. Help promote Nascar awareness today by telling your friends and family what a great time you had at the race this afternoon. Nascar—be aware of us.”
Nascar so far been unsuccessful in getting any of the “big four” sports leagues to join in by wearing the ribbons on their uniforms, although apparently Nascar chairman Brian France was said to be having productive talks with both the World Hockey Association and the United States Football League.