November 18, 2024 (WELCOME, N.C.) – For more than a decade, Richard Childress Racing has opened its doors to Veterans in the community to provide an opportunity for fellowship, entertainment and resources to improve the wellbeing of Veterans. For the last couple of years, Veterans Bridge Home (VBH) has been RCR’s partner in making these monthly events happen on the RCR campus. During a special Veterans Day edition of VBH/RCR’s popular Veterans Coffee event, RCR president Torrey Galida was surprised with the 2024 VBH Veteran of the Year award. This award is presented to a Veteran who exemplifies the organization’s mission of a stronger community.
Galida has welcomed thousands of Veterans to RCR’s campus each year, alongside RCR’s Chairman and CEO, Richard Childress.
“There are so many Veterans in that organization (VBH) who do so many great things and I never really put myself on that list,” said Galida. “I’ve been to some of their events. There were two recently in Charlotte, and when you attend, you really see how impressive the VBH organization is. I was really surprised and obviously very honored that they would pick me.”
Galida joined the US Navy in 1984 as an intelligence officer, and spent six years on active duty. For three years he was stationed with an F-14 fighter squadron in Virginia Beach and deployed on the aircraft carrier “USS Nimitz”, followed by three years of service at the Pentagon.
When Galida left the military, he went to business school at Duke University where he was recruited to work for Ford Motor Company as part of a rotational program for MBA students. His second rotation was within motorsports, where he learned to love the sport and began the career path that eventually led him to serving as president of RCR. Since joining RCR’s executive ranks in 2011, Galida has joined Richard Childress in being a strong proponent of supporting Veterans.
With the support of Childress, RCR and its strong base of partners have made numerous contributions to Veteran Coffee events. In the past 11 months alone, Veterans have been treated to a Coca-Cola 600 car unveil with the No. 3 Chevrolet, toy drives, special guest speakers, and even the presentation of a car to a local veteran. On average, more than 300 attendees gather on RCR’s campus on the second Wednesday of almost every month. Several of the larger Veterans Coffee events have included special programming and drawn in excess of 850 attendees.
Last April, RCR and VBH recognized Vietnam War Veterans and drew approximately 850 attendees, easily making it one of the largest gatherings of Vietnam Veterans in the country. The gathering featured several special speakers, including Colonel Walter “Joe” Marm, a retired Vietnam Veteran and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and Colonel Norman A. McDaniel, a USAF retired Vietnam Veteran and Prisoner of War for six years.
In September, Veterans Coffee attendees were treated to visits by post 9/11 “War on Terror” Veteran and Wilkes County resident Kevin Holland, MSG, US Army Retired Veteran. Holland brought a unique perspective to Veterans Coffee in sharing his story of conducting over two thousand combat missions and his involvement on the team that located Saddam Hussein.
That following month in October, Veterans Coffee changed one local Veteran’s life forever. The National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program partnered up with Sherwin Williams to give away a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox so that local Veteran Keith Bracken would have transportation to and from work and to help transport his kids to school. Before the vehicle was awarded to Bracken, he would walk four miles a day to work just to provide for his family and would rely on neighbors and friends to get his kids to school. Bracken currently resides in High Point, North Carolina, after serving in the United States Marine Corps from 2006 to 2015 where he served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier this fall, Deputy Vice President of Operations and retired USMC Gunnery Sergeant Mike Stuckey spoke on behalf of Toys for Tots to kick-off the 2024 campaign. VBH has participated with local Marine Corps units each year to donate new, unwrapped and unused toys to ensure kids in the community wake up to presents under the tree. Toys for Tots, a proud sponsor of the No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon, is currently collecting toys at RCR for children in the community.
“The support Richard Childress and his team have provided over the last 10 years has touched the lives of thousands of Veterans and their family members,” said Don Timmons, Veteran and community engagement manager of VBH “The meetings provide the opportunity for Veterans to get out of their house (de-isolate), be with other Veterans and see that they are cared about and respected for their service to our country.”
Galida said it was Timmons who first approached RCR and asked if the organization would be interested in hosting Veterans Coffee, which was an easy yes for Childress and Galida.
“I had no idea what it could be, and it’s really cool,” said Galida. “The best one we ever did was in 2019 for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. We had almost 1,400 people and 75 World War II Veterans. “The more I get to know Don, the more impressed I am with him. He’s a really great guy and does such a good job. He has an incredible network of Veterans throughout this area and the whole state. He is really committed to it and works really hard to make it all happen. Over the years, as I have gotten to see all the work that goes into it and everything that Don does, I’ve realized it’s a labor for love for him. We’re so lucky to have him.”
Following the D-Day event, RCR made it their goal to host at least two to three big events during the year where breakfast or lunch is served to Veterans along with a special program.
“The sacrifices that these Veterans have all made are really important to our country. It’s great to be able to go up and talk to them and it always makes me a little nostalgic. I always think back on the really good times I had when I was in the military. You tend to do that. You don’t think about the bad times, you think about the good times,” continued Galida.
Many of the Veterans who attend VBH/RCR’s Veterans Coffees continue to come back each month and help spread the word to bring more of their local Veterans together and give them an opportunity to connect to resources each month. According to many of the Veteran attendees, family members also benefit from these gatherings in connecting with other Veterans and their family members.
RCR’s Veterans Coffees will continue throughout 2025 and are set to be held on the second Wednesday of every month, with the exception of January and July. For more information, please visit veteransbridgehome.com or our Veterans Coffee page at rcrracing.com/rcr-veterans-coffee.
