Deacons of Deadwood M/C Assists Drag Racing Icon Shirley Muldowney Help Houston Child in Need

HOUSTON (April 24) -- For the second straight year, the Deacons of Deadwood Motorcycle Club assisted drag racing pioneer Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney help a Houston-area child in need through her namesake charity, Shirley's Kids."These guys, the Deacons of Deadwood, let me tell you something, they are my heroes," said Muldowney, the first female in organized motorsports to win a world championship. "This is the second time they've helped us and they have become such a wonderful addition to our mission of helping children in need."Whenever we come to Houston, we don't need to go any further than the Deacons of Deadwood. They are top-notch men and very dedicated to what they do. So much for big, bad bikers, these guys have hearts of gold."Shirley's Kids is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity created by Stan and Sheila Holt, owners of Houston-based Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurants. Because Muldowney has lived her life in drag racing, the organization first seeks out deserving children within the racing community. Recipients may be struggling with medical issues or financial hardships brought on by a personal or family tragedy. With corporate support, Shirley's Kids pledges 100 percent of all proceeds raised go directly to the designated children.This year, after going through a rigorous vetting process, the Deacons of Deadwood presented 9-year-old Zane Smock for consideration to be the designated "Shirley's Kid" at last weekend's 30th annual NHRA Spring Nationals in Baytown. Zane suffers from cerebral palsy and recently lost his father. He was located through the Deacons of Deadwood longstanding relationship with Big Brothers and Sisters of Texas.Cerebral Palsy is a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture caused by damage that occurs to the immature, developing brain, most often before birth."We immediately approved Zane as this year's Shirley's Kid for the Houston race based completely on our previous encounters with the Deacons of Deadwood Motorcycle Club," Shirley's Kids founder Stan Holt said. "They didn't disappoint. Zane was the perfect child for us to help. What a sweet kid."To see that many motorcycles giving him an escort into the racetrack was really cool, and I'm confident he was well covered throughout the day. The Deacons made sure he was taken care of and we can't thank them enough for their kindness, and for introducing us to Zane."With the financial support of Shell and Pennzoil, the Smock family was given $5,000 to help with Zane's medical bills and treatment.