At around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Richard Petty arrived at the home of Mary Lee Slawter in Winston-Salem in his sporty, black Ford. He was greeted with checkered flag by Meals on Wheels staff and Slawter’s family members.

Slawter, 96, is a big NASCAR fan. She remembers watching Richard Petty at the Daytona 500 in Florida in the 1970’s. She thanked him for the hot lunch and asked him for his autograph.

Meals-on-Wheels provides a hot nutritious lunch each weekday for Forsyth County’s homebound elderly. Volunteers have delivered more than 4-million meals since the program began in 1962. Helen Prichard was the very first volunteer.

"The people were a little suspicious. They wondered, why did we want to do this? We would explain to them that the meals were free and they didn’t have to go out and get them when they didn’t feel like it and it couldn’t happen without good people, generous people,” says Prichard.

Slawter says the program is helping her maintain her independence.

“I’m not able to cook. If it wasn’t for Meals on Wheels, I would be in a nursing home,” says Slawter.

Petty’s visit was part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Meals on Wheels in Forsyth County. This is the first time he has been involved with program. Petty says his wife has been sick and he’s had to learn to cook. He says his visit has made him realize how important the program is to the community.

“We are in our own little worlds and everything is going good, so you don’t think about people not having visitors. One of the great things about Meals on Wheels is also the visit. A lot of people live by themselves and if you just opened the door and put the food in they would appreciate it, but people come in and sit down and talk with them,” says Petty.