Foundations to Freedom Named Primary Partner of Carson Ware for the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway

Volusia County recovery organization takes its message to a national audience on Aug. 28, anchored by a full day of community work in Daytona Beach two days before the green flag

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundations to Freedom, the Volusia County nonprofit that has grown from a single recovery home in 2022 into 11 homes and more than 100 beds across Volusia and Flagler counties, will serve as the primary partner of NASCAR driver Carson Ware in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Winn-Dixie 250 on Friday, Aug. 28, at Daytona International Speedway.

Foundations to Freedom will appear on Ware's No. 47 Chevrolet in front of a national television audience on The CW. The partnership, however, was built around something a paint scheme cannot do on its own.

Two days before the green flag, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, Ware will spend the day in Daytona Beach working directly with the people Foundations to Freedom serves. His morning begins at the Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center, where he will speak with young people about the decisions that shaped his own life. At midday, he will sit down with men and women currently in recovery at Foundations to Freedom. He will finish the afternoon at the organization's newest recovery home in Daytona Beach, touring the property, meeting staff and capturing content that will carry the story well past race weekend.

Ware's own history is the reason the program works. He has publicly discussed his experience with substance use disorder, overdose and recovery, and he is the son of Rick Ware, longtime owner of NASCAR Cup Series organization Rick Ware Racing. That combination gives him something rare: the ability to stand in a room full of people in recovery and speak from lived experience while also having a national platform to carry that message to others.

Why Volusia County
Volusia County has consistently experienced some of the highest overdose rates in Florida. Foundations to Freedom has spent the past several months expanding its response, including the recent installation of a public Narcan distribution box at Outreach Community Care Network, the health care provider for Bethune-Cookman University students, located on North Frederick Avenue and serving the surrounding Daytona Beach community.

Foundations to Freedom is also expanding its recovery housing services directly into Daytona Beach, with plans to open a new Daytona recovery home by the end of 2026. The home will bring structured recovery housing, peer support, case management and wrap-around recovery services directly into the Daytona Beach community.

In July, the organization launched its new 18-24 Young Adult Substance Use Disorder Program through a grant from the Florida Department of Children and Families, with Foundations to Freedom being one of only four organizations selected statewide.

The average Daytona race weekend brings tens of thousands of people to Volusia County. This one will also bring a conversation that many families in the area have already had at a kitchen table.

Quotes
Katherine Russell, Founder and CEO of Foundations to Freedom:
"We recover out loud so no one ever has to die in silence. Foundations to Freedom believes in just that, giving people the foundation, support and freedom they need to build a life in recovery. I know firsthand what it feels like to be consumed by addiction, and I also know the freedom that comes when you find recovery.

Here at Foundations to Freedom, many members of our staff have their own lived experiences with addiction and recovery. We understand the fear, the struggle and the work it takes because many of us have walked that road ourselves. Together, we provide the services, support and community we wish everyone had when they first entered recovery.

Recovery is never something we do alone. It takes people standing beside you, believing in you and sometimes believing for you until you can believe in yourself. Addiction doesn't only affect the person struggling. It impacts mothers, fathers, children, spouses, brothers, sisters and entire families.

That's why having Carson willing to recover out loud and share his story on a national stage is so important. Someone watching may see themselves or someone they love in his story and realize there is still hope. I know that anyone who truly wants healing and is willing to work for it can build a life free from drugs and alcohol. Recovery is possible. Families can heal. Lives can be rebuilt. At Foundations to Freedom, we believe we never have to do this alone."

Carson Ware:
"I've been in recovery for more than five years now, and I know firsthand how hard addiction can be and how much it can take from you. I'm incredibly grateful to Foundations to Freedom for everything they're doing in this community and for believing in what we're trying to do with this partnership. They're helping people every single day, and to have the opportunity to work alongside them and use the platform NASCAR gives us to bring more attention to recovery means a lot to me.

There's still a stigma around addiction and recovery, and I want to do whatever I can to help change that. I'm especially excited to spend time with the youth and people in recovery throughout Volusia County, share some of my own experiences and hopefully show them that where you've been doesn't have to determine where you're going. I'm thankful to Foundations to Freedom for giving me the opportunity to be part of what they're building, and I'm really excited about everything we have planned together around Daytona."

Andrew Demorest, President of Brand Labs Group:
"This is what a partnership should look like. We are in Daytona in August, and in 2027 we are taking this into race markets across the country. The car gets people to pay attention. What happens on the Wednesday before the race is what actually changes something."

Race Information
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Winn-Dixie 250
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Friday, Aug. 28, 2026
Qualifying: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Green flag: 7:30 p.m. ET
Television: The CW
Radio: MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Media Availability
Members of the media interested in covering the Aug. 26 community day or arranging interviews with Carson Ware or Katherine Russell during race week should contact Brand Labs Group or Foundations to Freedom using the information below. Access at certain locations is limited and must be arranged in advance.

About Foundations to Freedom
Foundations to Freedom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing structured recovery housing, peer support, case management and wrap-around recovery services for individuals and families affected by substance use disorders and domestic violence. Founded in 2022 by Katherine Russell, whose program design is rooted in her own recovery, the organization has grown from one home and five employees to 11 homes and 44 employees across Volusia and Flagler counties.

Its programs include housing for men, women, parents with children, veterans and young adults, along with a domestic violence safe house. Foundations to Freedom is certified by the Florida Association of Recovery Residences and reports an 89 percent graduate success rate. Learn more at foundationstofreedom.org.

About Carson Ware
Carson Ware is a professional stock car driver competing in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and in regional late model competition, where he has won multiple times in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series in 2026. After experiencing addiction, overdose and significant personal and professional setbacks, Ware is in recovery and is using his return to motorsports to reach families and young people dealing with substance use.

About Brand Labs Group
Brand Labs Group, LLC is a motorsports representation and experiential marketing agency that builds partnerships connecting brands and mission-driven organizations to NASCAR audiences on and off the track. The agency manages partnership strategy, activation and community programming for teams and drivers across the NASCAR Cup and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.

SOURCE Foundations to Freedom