CEDAR LAKE | There's no doubt Nathan Splant won show-and-tell honors hands down this month.
That's because his parents, Phil and Kim Splant, of Dyer, brought their race car to Lincoln Elementary School.
The children were able to ask Phil Splant, the driver, questions about his racing experiences during their recess period. There was even a special showing for the preschool classes, which Nathan attends.
And this isn't just any race car, either. It's a car dedicated to helping children like Nathan, who arrived a little earlier than expected.
Nathan Splant weighed less than 2 lbs. and was only 12 inches long when he was born 15 weeks prematurely in 2004. He spent 108 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at Community Hospital in Munster and was discharged with an oxygen tank and heart monitor.
Today, Nathan is living a healthy and happy life. In late 2007, the family wanted to "give back to the community," according to Nathan's mother, Kimberly Splant, and formed a not-for-profit organization, the Nathan C. Splant Foundation, in honor of their son.
In addition, the family is racing for a cause this year. They have incorporated their local racing program and the Nathan C. Splant Foundation to sponsor the third annual "Racing for Babies" fundraiser May 31 at Illiana Motor Speedway, 7211 U.S. 30 in Schererville. Pits open at 3 p.m., stands open at 4, qualifying starts at 5:30 and the first race begins at 7.
Many local businesses have been very generous, including Hooters, Texas Roadhouse, Gus Bock's Ace Hardware, White's Pit Stop, Red Robin, Fathead.com, Black & Decker, Walt's Food Store, Lisa Thomas Salon, Phoenix Auto Salon, Zuni's, Hoosier Tires and many more have donated raffle prizes.
For those who would like to be part of the race team, a $50 donation will get your name on the hood of the race car and businesses are welcome with a $100 donation. Supporters can also sponsor a race lap on the night of the fundraiser with a $25 donation. Proceeds will benefit March of Dimes Prematurity Research.
"We are very excited to do this for the children today and we hope they will excite their parents to bring them to Illiana Motor Speedway for our special night at the races," said Phil Splant during his visit to the school. "We cannot thank Mike Mikuly, track owner, enough for his support for the past three years," added Splant, chairman for the foundation.
The Nathan C. Foundation not only supports prematurity research, but also benefits local children and families.
It may just be that the children at Lincoln Elementary School brought the Splant family some luck, too. Their 2007 Illiana champion race car won top honors on opening night.
BREAKOUT
The Nathan C. Splant Foundation was founded in 2007 as a public charity foundation. The foundation helps local children and families through its assistance and grant giving programs. In addition to its commitment to directly helping families, the Foundation also supports prematurity research. For more information, visit www.ncsplantfoundation.org
