Students, faculty and staff gathered in the assembly center at the Baptist College of Florida April 28 to watch as four teams competed in a mock NASCAR race, complete with an invocation, national anthem and command to "start your engines."  All of the excitement was an innovative fundraiser designed to raise money for the BCF Missions Scholarship fund. 

At left: The BCF NASCAR winners, Christina Acree, Mike Matzen, Rebekah Meahl and Brittany Hill, and BCF missions coordinator Lauren Parnell, show off their trophies after the race. 

Using his creativity and servant-driven heart, Mike Parrish, manager of the Lake Vista Dining facility at BCF, planned the entire fundraising event.  Each participating team had to raise a minimum of $250 to enter the race and was then given a remote control car to decorate as they deemed appropriate.  Each team selected a driver to steer the car through the race course marked by red cones around the gymnasium floor.  Team Cheese, made up of a group of students traveling to Wisconsin in July, won the event with the help of driver Mike Matzen.  All members of the first and second place teams were rewarded for their efforts with miniature trophies.

Missions coordinator Lauren Parnell reflected on the event by saying, “I’m so thankful that many of our local businesses, churches, and BCF students chose to get involved by making donations to our summer missions trips.  Through everyone’s efforts we were able to greatly help our teams serving this summer.”

Parrish stated that $1,300 was raised for the Missions Scholarship fund.