CURRENT PARTNERS

Founders

In 1988, Paul Newman started a worldwide movement when he founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a camp for children with serious medical conditions. Soon after, the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps was created, serving as an umbrella for the world’s largest family of camps for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. While each individual camp has its own founder or founders, it is Paul Newman that started it all. Our founders, Kyle and Pattie Petty, Lynda and Richard Petty, the Bahre family, Leo Hindery, Jr. and the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, Inc. are all responsible for donating at least $1 million dollars and for helping to establish Victory Junction. Read below to learn more about Paul Newman’s story and how Kyle and Pattie got involved in his vision.

Paul Newman

Oddly, the saga of the camp began with salad dressing. In 1982, Paul Newman and his friend, author A.E. Hotchner, established Newman's Own Foods to market the actor's personal recipe with the profits earmarked for charity. The salad dressing was such a hit that the company branched into spaghetti sauce, popcorn, salsa and lemonade. Soon the profits reached millions.

Newman's Own received scores of letters asking for help from parents of kids with serious illnesses, but tax rules prohibited the firm from making donations to individuals. Newman began pondering other ways to help these children. In 1986, he had an inspiration: why not build a place for kids who are too sick to go to ordinary camps? He'd name it The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp for the ragtag bandits from his film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

In 1988, Paul Newman opened and founded The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut, for children with cancer and serious blood disorders. Since then, Newman founded camps in New York, Florida, Ireland, France and California. He wanted to give kids the chance to "kick back, relax and have lots of fun!" He insisted that the camps' focus be about fun and that it be free of charge for the campers and their families.

Kyle & Pattie Petty

A fixture on the NASCAR circuit for more than 25 years, Kyle Petty is one of the few third-generation athletes competing in professional sports, following in the footsteps of his father Richard and grandfather Lee.

Recognized throughout the motor sports community for his philanthropic spirit, Kyle has dedicated much of his time away from the track to helping others. His annual Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America has donated more than $9 million to worthy organizations since its inception in 1995.

Pattie Petty also is well known for her philanthropic activities. In addition to Victory Junction, she is on the board of the Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride, has served as a board member of Brenner Children's Hospital and a past president of the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary. She holds a masters' degree in Child Developmental Psychology and undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Development.

In October 2000, Kyle and Pattie partnered with actor Paul Newman to launch their most ambitious project to date- Victory Junction. The project was founded in honor of their son Adam (the first fourth-generation professional athlete in the United States) who died in May 2000 during practice for a NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Victory Junction Founders

The Bahre Family
Kurt Busch
Carolinas Credit Union Foundation
Goody's
Hugh Hawthorne
Hendrick Motorsports
Leo Hindery, Jr.
Kyle Petty Charity Ride, Inc.
David and Ruth Lind
Sam and Priscilla McCall and David Moon
Johnny Morris
The NASCAR Foundation
Paul Newman
Kyle and Pattie Petty
Richard and Lynda Petty
Sprint
Tony Stewart
Michael and Buffy Waltrip
Jordan Washburn

Celebrity Board - Coming Soon!

New to Victory Junction in 2009 is the addition of Victory Junction’s Celebrity Board! Here, Victory Junction’s celebrity friends may be showcased for their kind and generous support of the camp’s mission through out the year. A combination of actors, models, musicians, television personalities, professional athletes and other public figures are dedicated to assisting Victory Junction with their talents and time. Some Celebrity Board Members have personal connections to a child that suffers from a chronic medical condition or serious illness that Victory Junction serves. Together, Victory Junction and its Celebrity Board hopes to encourage new supporters to get involved with this life-changing mission.
Celebrity Board Contact:
Erin McCloskey
Victory Junction
336.495.2006
emccloskey@victoryjunction.org