Chili Bowl Drivers Spread Cheer To Children At Tulsa Hospital

Before some Chili Bowl drivers hit the dirt track at the RiverSpirit Expo Center, several of them visited the Children's Hospital at Saint Francis Tuesday morning.

Chili Bowl drivers got away from the dirt track to spread a little cheer to children at Saint Francis.

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About a half dozen car drivers, from all different motorsports, visited several kids at the hospital. They took pictures, signed autographs. And they handed out shirts and sock animals that you can color with markers.

Al Tschider has helped organize visits for years.

Waiting for a heart transplant himself, he knows what it's like waiting in a hospital bed.

"I just really believe in the family values of motorsports and what it does for kids. Especially a lot of kids that can't physically run or do a lot of that stuff," Tschider said.

And it means a lot to the drivers too. Blake Hahn from Sapulpa was supposed to race in the Chili Bowl, but broke his elbow Sunday.

This helped cheer him up, too.

"Their eyes light up when we walk in and they're really excited to see us all and especially when the driver gives them their autograph cards. They love it," said Hahn.

And patients like Micayla Howell can speak for all the kids who now have goodies to play with.

"It was nice, it was fun," Howell said.