Everything is bigger in Texas, and Texas Motor Speedway has made a sport out of proving it. That includes what it calls the biggest living Christmas tree in the Metroplex.
NBC 5's David Finfrock and Newy Scruggs had the honor of helping illuminate the tree Tuesday evening.
The tree is 61-feet tall and arrived from Montana 10 days ago. It was decorated with 10,000 LED lights and a four-by-four foot star with the TMS logo on it.
While it’s a celebration of the holiday season, the event is a culmination of a year long effort by Speedway Children’s Charities to help non-profits who help children in North Texas.
Since its creation in 1997, SCC has given out $9.7 million, including $300,000 in grants on Tuesday night.
"The amazing thing to me is that’s all cash that's been given to organizations that are really doing great work in a four county area,” said Eddie Gossage of TMS. “So, we're real proud of this Speedway Children's Charities event, to raise that kind of money in first 18 years that we've been here.”
This year’s founder’s grant went to the Tarrant Area Food Bank. The $150,000 grant will help the food bank get a refrigerated truck.
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Other grants of $4,400 went to Medical City Children’s Hospital in Collin County, Children’s Health in Dallas and Cook Children’s in Fort Worth.
Receiving between $10,000 and $20,000 were PediPlace in Lewisville, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, Denton Kiwanis Children’s Clinic and Camp iHope in Plano.
NBC 5's Kevin Young contributed to this report.
