‘Spirit of the Fair’ to help local communities

A California-based motorsports company is raising money for local nonprofit Youth Empowerment as part of a larger effort that includes a “Community-Oriented Monster Truck Show” at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in December without fans in attendance.

The community will be able to watch it online or on live television.

“I have always had a passion to help people,” said Shane Russell, who works for WGAS Motorsports, which has previously held monster truck shows at the fairgrounds.

The initiative, called Spirit of the Fair, was designed to keep the spirit of the fair alive on a recurring basis with community events that support charitable efforts. It is also meant to help recreate some of the community togetherness that has been lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fundraising events will take place all over the county, with the first one tentatively scheduled for Oct. 22-25 at the Ayres Hotel in Chula Vista. Participants will be asked to bring a bag of aluminum cans, or a $5 donation, and will receive a few free items donated by partnering organizations.

“We are going to personally impact and connect with as many local communities as possible year-round, with the epicenter in Del Mar,” said Russell, adding that the logo of Spirit of the Fair pays homage to his Native American roots.

He added that the motto they are abiding by is “give first, give back, give often.”

The initiative will benefit Youth Empowerment and its youth educational development and mentor program.

“This is going to bring a lot of joy to the communities, and they’re really going to be excited about what’s coming,” said Arthur Soriano, president and CEO of Youth Empowerment. “That’s really important, bringing this not only to that area in Del Mar, but bringing it down to the central regions, and South County, especially during these times right now.”

He added that this initiative will help Youth Empowerment advance its mission of promoting community engagement and building relationships, which are especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These times are challenging,” Soriano said. “There’s a lot going on in the communities, a lot of mental health issues, a lot of depression, a lot of drug addiction, there are a lot of overdoses. We need to bring the community back.”

Details of the December show are still being worked out. Three monster trucks so far have been scheduled to participate in the show. For more information, visit spiritofthefair.com.