Appalachia Service Project to provide 3 families with homes through annual Race to Build event

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Appalachia Service Project (ASP) will host its eighth annual Race to Build event on Sept. 19-21.

The event takes place during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and will build three homes for Tri-Cities families.

Three college teams, Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Kent State University and Iowa State University, will compete over the three days to build the fastest, safest and most efficient new homes.

At the end of the event, ASP will present the homes to the Bristol, Lyons and McCaffrey families.

“Steve Bristol, a Vietnam War veteran with full custody of his 12-year-old grandson, has been
struggling with the burden of high rent, which consumes much of his limited income,” a release from the ASP said.

Patricia Lyons, who has dedicated her life to raising her granddaughter, faces the weight of expensive rent as well, the ASP said. The new home will serve as a fresh start and a place where Lyons and her granddaughter can make memories.

High rent has also been a strain on the McCaffrey family.

“For Hugh McCaffrey, his wife Lisa, and their son Craig, high rent has been a constant strain,
threatening their financial stability,” the ASP said in a news release. “This new home will be more than just a roof over their heads; it will be a foundation upon which their family can flourish, allowing them to focus on essential needs.”

The eighth annual Race to Build event will take place outside Bristol Motor Speedway. Construction will begin at 10 a.m. on Sept. 19 and end at 4 p.m. on Sept. 21.

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