Gift of Lights by the Numbers
The 10th annual Gift of Lights presented by Eastern Propane & Oil at New Hampshire Motor Speedway featured millions of lights, welcomed thousands of cars, and raised $90,000 for local kids in need.
LOUDON, N.H. – Record attendance at the 10th annual Gift of Lights presented by Eastern Propane & Oil at New Hampshire Motor Speedway translated into a record-breaking $90,000 raised for the New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCCNH), the official charity of NHMS.
“We are blown away at the incredible support we received from the community throughout the duration of this year’s Gift of Lights,” said Danielle Cyr, director of the New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities and marketing manager for New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “This is a great way to kick off the 2021 season of fundraising to help children throughout New England.”
Supporting SCCNH during the ongoing pandemic was more important than ever. Since 2011, SCCNH has raised over $340,000 through Gift of Lights. Overall, the charity has distributed over $1.8 million to support more than 808,000 children in need since its inception in 2009. SCCNH is one of seven chapters located at Speedway Motorsports racing facilities across the country. Since its inception in 1982, SCC has awarded in excess of $59.4 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the nation.
Not only did this season’s Gift of Lights set new fundraising records, the COVID-safe family event generated other impressive numbers to stay on Santa’s “nice” list for years to come:
3.5 million twinkling LED lights transformed “The Magic Mile” into the brightest winter wonderland ever with one million new lights added this year.
29,468 vehicles drove through the Gift of Lights from Nov. 26, 2020, through Jan. 3, 2021.
Nearly 10,000 pounds of sand and salt were used to weather-proof the route during icy conditions.
3,550 Christmas carols were played during Gift of Lights.
650 work hours were put in to set up, event operation, and tear down.
620 different displays lit up the speedway grounds.
155% increase in attendance over 2019’s event.
88 hours of snow plowing to keep the show open after New England snowstorms.
37 nights of Loudon holiday tourism. Winter weather forced the show to close for only two nights this season.
8 miles of extension cords powered displays throughout the speedway property.
7 states represented among attendees, including New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.
3 miles of service road were opened on NHMS property to create a smoother traffic flow in response to higher car volume. The additional pre-event route accommodated approximately 1,500 cars clearing congestion from N.H. Route 106.
2.5 miles of Christmas magic were on display for families and friends to enjoy.
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Sources: Shannon Stephens/NHMS PR
Abby and John McDonagh of Norfolk, Mass. enjoy the 10th annual Gift of Lights presented by Eastern Propane & Oil at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Photo Courtesy: NHMS/Brittany McDonagh