Local Late Model circuit driver Christian Rose recently announced a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle, sharing a message of a healthy mind, body and soul.
MARTINSBURG — Late model driver Christian Rose thought back to this last week or so of being home in Berkeley County and laughed. He recalled mowing the lawn when a man stopped by, asking if Rose was that local guy who races cars.
An up-and-coming driver in the Late Model circuit, Rose certainly is who the man thought, but he’s also so much more, wanting to use his notoriety to give back to the area that once fostered his dreams.
Rose recently announced a partnership between Christian Rose Racing and the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle for the 2021-22 season, a chance for Rose to touch the lives of local youth and share a message close to his heart.
“We’re very excited,” Rose said. “It’s something we want to do, partner with the Boys & Girls Club. Growing up, I always wanted to give back to the community. I have the ability to do that. We’re really pushing the Triple Play Initiative with the Boys & Girls Club, which is about mind, body and spirit and staying healthy. Being a former college athlete and being in the race car, I think it really embodies what we should be sharing with kids. (I’m) really looking forward to inspiring as many people and sharing my story with as many people from the area to show that if you have a dream and have big ambitions, I’m from this area, and it’s possible to make happen.”
With the partnership, Rose will also be donating $5 for every sponsored lap run that will go back to the Triple Play Initiative.
“We’re going to get involved with the kids as much as we can,” Rose said, adding he’ll be making appearances at all three local branches of the Boys & Girls Club.
The partnership announcement was just the tip of the iceberg in a busy week for Rose to be home, using the platform with Boys & Girls Club during an appearance at the National Night Out event at War Memorial Park, hosted by the Martinsburg Police Department. There, he was able to share about the Boys & Girls Club and all it has to offer for local youth, a chance to remind himself of the youth he once was at that very same park.
“Being a former lifeguard at War Memorial Park, it’s cool to get back there and get to see the kids and people out there at the park,” Rose said. “It was my first job, so being able to go back there was pretty cool.
“We get to do a lot of cool things, a lot of stuff around the country. We’ve been everywhere from Daytona Beach to San Francisco this year. Just having the ability to come home means a lot more to me than going out across the rest of the country. I’m not taking anything away from what we’ve been doing around the country, but being able to be home and get involved with the community and the kids from this area means a lot. I know what it’s like being a kid growing up here and having big dreams, trying to chase them. As much as we can inspire and show that’s possible, means the world to me.”
Rose also visited the Berkeley County Youth Fair to help spread the message of the Boys & Girls Club and connect with locals.
“It was really cool,” Rose said. “I grew up going to the fair as a kid, so it means the world to give back. The fair is really special to me; it’s roots, home. It’s right down the road from us, and being able to go out there and meet people, see some familiar faces, is always a good time.
“It’s a relief to be able to get back. It’s busy and a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun. I don’t consider it work. I consider it a good time.”
Anyone interested in supporting the Triple Play Initiative can text RACING to 26989 to give online.
