Sara Lee Meat Group Cooking Village

The rotating sponsors on the hood of 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope's Pontiac -- Jimmy Dean, Bryan, and State Fair -- are combining to form an interactive village for NASCAR fans May 21-22 and May 26-30 across from Lowe's Motor Speedway on the corner of Concord Parkway South and Morehead Ave. Together with Weber Grills, the Sara Lee Meat Group companies will split charitable proceeds evenly between the United Cerebral Palsy Fund and the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary.

Admission is free and fans will also be able to sample Sara Lee Meat products grilled to perfection by celebrity chefs each day. Among the special cooks will be Mary Jane Atwil, Jimmy Dean Foods' executive chef. The village will also feature a Weber Cooking School, where fans can learn cooking skills on Weber Grills. The Sara Lee Racing girls will pose for photos with fans and racing posters featuring Cope and the Bahari' Racing team will be available for a minor donation.

The purpose of all the fun is simply to raise money for the two charities. United Cerebral Palsy is one of the largest health charities in the nation. More than 30,000 people with all types of disabilities receive UCP services daily. The Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary provides assistance and support to families of all NASCAR Winston Cup teams suffering injury or tragedy as a result of participation in a Winston Cup event. It also supports several medical facilities and children's hospitals.

"This is an exciting event for us because we can promote the brands' involvement with NASCAR Winston Cup racing while raising money for two important charities," Sara Lee Group CEO Jerry Laner said. "Jimmy Dean has been working with the United Cerebral Palsy Fund for four years now and we are happy to support a class organization like the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary. All our companies strive to give back to society through numerous charity assistance programs like this one."

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