NASCAR: Bubba Wallace urges fans to help as 'every penny makes a difference'

McDonald's is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities, an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children, through "Gift to RMHC".

McDonald's is teaming up with brand ambassadors, including 23XI Racing NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, to encourage its tens of millions of customers nationwide to give to the cause by rounding up their next McDonald's purchase to the nearest dollar.

"Last year, both here at home in Charlotte and in Texas, we as a team visited a Ronald McDonald House to just really spend time with the kids and their families," Wallace told Beyond the Flag. "We served some food and just hung out with them to take their mind off of what’s going on in their everyday lives."

Wallace is set to run a custom paint scheme on his No. 23 Toyota in next Sunday afternoon's Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Elements of Wallace's scheme for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 have been designed by local families from RMHC of South Florida, and Wallace is also set to sport a logo on his fire suit dedicated to the 50-year celebration. Additionally, he plans to represent the name of an RMHC family from his home state of Alabama on the driver's side of his race car decal.

"That time with RMHC really stuck with me, so as a member of the McDonald’s family, I’m glad to be back and celebrating 50 years of the partnership," Wallace continued.

"I’ve got a new custom paint job designed by local families from RMHC of South Florida on my No. 23 Toyota that’ll be in the upcoming race in Homestead next week, and I’ll have the name of an RMHC family from my home state of Alabama on the side of my car."

McDonald's serves roughly 25 million people per day in the United States, which is roughly 7.5% of the nation's population. Wallace is encouraging those customers to partake in the "Gift to RMHC" initiative.

"You can help us celebrate too," Wallace said. "Give a ‘Gift to RMHC’ by rounding up on your next McDonald’s purchase to the nearest whole dollar. Every penny makes a difference." 

Even if everyone gives only a single cent, that's still $250,000 per day.

Wallace has been partnered with McDonald's throughout his entire career as a full-time Cup Series driver, dating back to his days with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2018, and he is grateful to represent the world-renowned fast food chain.

"McDonald’s has been with me through it all," Wallace continued. "They rode with me for both my first win at Talladega and my first time winning a pole in the Cup Series. It means a lot having this continued partnership. We share the same values and beliefs when it comes to just really trying to be good people, for the greater good."

Bubba Wallace talks Grimace

Wallace, who has run a McDonald's Grimace paint scheme on multiple occasions before, was also asked about the ongoing Grimace theme with the New York Mets, who turned their season around after the iconic mascot threw out the first pitch back in mid-June.

The Mets were 28-37, 13th of 15 teams in the National League at the time, and they proceeded to go an MLB-best 61-36 throughout the rest of the season. They have since advanced to the playoffs as the NL's No. 6 seed, beaten the No. 3 seed Milwaukee Brewers and the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Phillies, and advanced to the NLCS against the No. 1 seed Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I don’t really follow baseball, but Grimace is the man," Wallace said. "We’ve had a couple of different Grimace schemes run on-track, so I’m not surprised to see him everywhere as a fan and crowd favorite."

While Wallace's Grimace scheme at Iowa Speedway back in June, which was run just days after that unforgettable Mets game, wasn't enough to turn his season around and propel him to the playoffs, he is hoping that he too can make a deep run in 2025.

"I try to reset with each new season," Wallace stated. "I would say I’ve grown a lot being a part of this team, but I try not to hold on to things with each passing season. Daytona will bring a new year and a blank slate to come back, make another playoff run, and compete for wins."