RALEIGH, NC—Doug Warf, Director of Community Relations and Executive Director of the Kids ‘N Community Foundation for the Carolina Hurricanes, announced today that NASCAR driver Regan Smith will wear a special Carolina Hurricanes-themed helmet on Saturday, Oct. 11, during the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. The race is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be telecast nationwide on ABC.

Smith is wearing the Hurricanes-themed helmet this weekend to draw attention to the start of the 2008-09 National Hockey League season, and will donate the helmet to the Kids ‘N Community Foundation for a charity auction following the race. The 25-year-old driver of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated/Principal Financial Group’s 01 Chevrolet, is in the hunt for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year honors, and is coming off of a controversial finish in last weekend’s AMP Energy 500 at Talladega. Smith is a self-proclaimed “Caniac,” who moved to Mooresville, NC, in 1995 from his hometown of Cato, NY.

Pictures of Smith’s Hurricanes-themed helmet can be found at the following URLs:

http://cdn.nhl.com/hurricanes/images/upload/2008/10/helmet3.jpg
http://cdn.nhl.com/hurricanes/images/upload/2008/10/helmet2.jpg

The Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation provides much needed funding to children’s charities and education programs throughout North Carolina. With ongoing support from annual special events and the corporate community, the Foundation has funded scholarship programs, youth hockey, educational and literacy efforts, children’s health programs, the arts and other children’s related initiatives. Annually, the Foundation provides cash and in-kind contributions of over $1 million to charitable and educational programs in North Carolina, such as Wake County Communities in Schools, Danialle Karmanos’ Work it Out Program, YMCA of the Triangle Area and the Boys and Girls Club. Every member of the Hurricanes organization is actively involved in community activities. The Hurricanes take great pride in the ability to have a positive impact in our state.

Tickets still remain for the Hurricanes’ season-opening game on Friday night against the Florida Panthers, and for Monday night’s showdown with the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. The games mark the team’s only home games for the month of October, as the Hurricanes embark on a six-game road trip following Monday night’s game. Single-game Hurricanes tickets are on sale now and are available at the Time Warner Cable Box Office at the RBC Center, CarolinaHurricanes.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. For information on Hurricanes ticket packages, visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com or call 1-866-NHL-CANES.