A chance encounter at a store in Knoxville, Iowa, ended with Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart donating $1,400 to a family that lost three brothers in a car crash last Thursday in New Sharon, Iowa.
Accoring to the NBC affiliate in Des Moines, the Sprint Cup driver, in the city for the sprint racing Knoxviille Nationals, was at a store called Pamida when he overheard Ralphi Munson meeting with a friend.
Munson is a friend of a family named the Singletary’s, who lost brothers Jamie, Carson, and Christian when their car was hit by a truck. Jamie, 16, was driving the car. Carson was 13 years old and Christian was 10.
Efforts to help the family have included a GoFundMe page, a U.S. Bank account, and a community spaghetti supper, but Munson was helping in her own way. She was showing her friend four totes full of racing memorabilia she had collected since 1982 and was planning on selling to raise money.
That’s when Stewart approached her.
“I overheard everything and I want to do this for the kids,” Munson recalled Stewart saying.
The three-time Sprint Cup champion gave Munson $700 for all of the memorabilia. Stewart then had a friend of his bring over more, which brought the total to $1,400.
Stewart is no stranger to helping out a good cause. Last week, Stewart and Texas Motor Speedway held the eighth annual “Smoke Show.” The event gave 20 people who donated money to the Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter the chance to drive old Sprint Cup cars and enjoy a ride along with Stewart in his No. 14 Bass Pro Shop Chevrolet.
This year’s event raised more than $83,000, moving the eight-year total to $1.5 million.