Community Corner

Bartow's Amazin' Race Raises More Than $102K

Two days of challenges through Cartersville and Bartow County included skydiving, canoeing and drinking a special concoction.

Bartow's Amazin' Race, sponsored by Aflac in Cartersville, which included 12 teams competing in a number of challenges, topped its fundraising goal.

Kim Cowart, who was diagnosed with kidney failure, recently was approved for both kidney and pancreas organ transplants. 

Friends of Kim Cowart, corporate sponsors and individuals, collective members of Team Kim, had an ambitious $100,000 goal to help Kim and her family with the high costs associated with organ transplants and to increase organ transplant awareness for others in need.

Find out what's happening in Cartersvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The total funds raised topped $102,000, as the teams completed challenges Saturday.

Friday, teams were greeted at the starting line, sponsored by Stiles Jewelers, by a roar of cheers from more than 1,600 students and Team Kim supporters as they skydived from a plane circling above.  

Find out what's happening in Cartersvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

By 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Wanda and Kevin Stephenson had crossed the finish line first as the winners of the challenges, according to the press release.  

Kim and Brad Cowart’s daughter Madison Cowart and her team partner Drew McKaig were the fundraising challenge winners with their team raising more than $24,000 at that point.

Filled with emotion Brad Cowart, Kim’s husband, told the hundreds of people who attended the finish line festivities, sponsored by Industrial Construction Services and hosted at Pettit Creek Farms: 

In late May we learned of Kim’s kidney failure and lifesaving need for both kidney and pancreas transplants. My good friend Patrick Nelson, the owner of Georgia Fitness Academy, had long had the idea for Bartow’s Amazin’ Race.  When we told people about Kim’s needs—within hours all 12 teams of racers had signed up, and we had our first $2,000 sponsor. The tremendous show of support from our friends, family and the community has been…amazing!

Bartow’s Amazin’ Race consisted of 12 teams who competed to win two days of challenges on Aug. 23 and 24, and also competed to be the team that raised the most money to help the Cowart family with the high costs associated with organ transplants. 

During the two days of challenges throughout Bartow, in addition to skydiving, some of the other challenges included a rigorous set of activities at the Fire Training Center, canoeing, finding and photographing specific cars amongst the 34 acres and 4,500 cars at Old Car City, and drinking a “special” concoction prepared for them at City Swirl.

“Two years ago I had the idea for Bartow’s Amazin’ Race, yet never did I envision that the idea would be put to such good use and for such a wonderful family.  We are deeply touched and grateful by everyone’s generous show of support.  We spun on a dime and pulled this off within two months.  It took all of the 30-plus corporate sponsors, nearly 700 individual donors and close to 100 volunteers to execute this event and ultimately raise over $102,000 as collective members of Team Kim.  We exceeded our ambitious fundraising goal and could not be more grateful and proud,” event creator and chair— and owner of Georgia Fitness Academy in Cartersville—Patrick Nelson said in the release.

Corporate sponsors included: 
  • Aflac – Race Sponsor
  • 1st Georgia Home Mortgage (the T-shirt sponsor),
  • Stiles Jewelers (the Starting Line and Challenge 1 sponsor),
  • Georgia Power (the overnight camp sponsor),
  • Industrial Construction Services (the Finish Line Finale sponsor)
  • A New Dimension Graphic Design and Printing
  • Asher Realty
  • Backyard Building Movers, Inc.
  • Josh and Tamara Brock
  • Cair Plus Fitness
  • Champion Air Systems
  • Children’s Dental Center
  • City Swirl Yogurt
  • C & C Gutters
  • Eagle Sportz
  • Euharlee Creek Outfitters
  • F. Lee Perkins – Attorney at Law
  • Georgia Fitness Academy
  • Henry’s Louisiana Grill
  • Hyde, Hyde & Hyde
  • Louie’s Café
  • Northwest Georgia Women’s Expo
  • Preferred Heating and Air Conditioning
  • Quest Global Trucking
  • RE/MAX Highlands Realty
  • Redman LLC – Project Management and Growth Consulting
  • Riverside Auto Group
  • Stephenson Engineering  
  • Terry Reid Hyundai
  • Tilley, Deems, Helton & Trotter – Attorneys at Law
  • Walmart

Tell us what you think in the comments, share your photos and videos, and don’t miss any of the local news you care about—subscribe to Cartersville Patch's newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Related Content




Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Cartersville