Dozens of organizations that aim to help children in metro Atlanta received a boost during the Atlanta chapter of Speedway Children's Charities annual grant ceremony Wednesday.

Thousands of dollars raised through individual donations collected throughout the year were granted to 37 recipients during the ceremony at Atlanta Motor Speedway, aiding their efforts to help local children in need. Altogether the eight chapters of Speedway Children's Charities have distributed more than $3 million nationwide in 2019.

"Making a positive impact on the lives of children in need is what we set out to do each year, and today's grant ceremony punctuates that effort," SCC Atlanta Director Missy Johnson said. "We take pride knowing that these contributions — made possible by our dedicated supporters, corporate partners, and volunteers throughout the year — will ultimately help better the lives of kids in metro Atlanta."

Since its founding in 1994, Speedway Children's Charities Atlanta has granted more than $4 million to local children's causes in the Atlanta area.

With local chapters at each of Speedway Motorsports, Inc.'s eight premier NASCAR facilities, Speedway Children's Charities raises grant money through local fundraisers including golf tournaments, track events, barbecue cook-offs, auctions for unique race experiences like driver ride-alongs, nightly event promotions and much more.

Each chapter provides grants to programs which specifically help children in their respective region. Chapter support comes from providing winter coats and backpack meals to low-income families as well as facilitating clubs that provide healthy after-school activities and aiding hospital cancer research.