‘Duck Dynasty’ stars to launch adoption foundation during TMS race week

Duck Commander has spent millions as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup spring race the past three years at Texas Motor Speedway.

To the Robertson family of the highly acclaimed reality TV show Duck Dynasty, the money spent has been worth its weight in gold in expanding not only their highly popular brand, but also the Bible and the brood.

While the family has made a fortune imitating the call of the duck, there is no such device for their Christian faith.

The Louisiana Robertsons practice what they preach: Do things that please God and strengthen the family and others, even if that sometimes means not knowing what the end result will be.

Last year’s Duck Commander 500 presented them a very special opportunity, an important meeting for Willie and Korie Robertson, not with a business stakeholder but rather a 12-year-old boy who needed a home.

That boy, Rowdy, will soon take on the Robertson name as an adopted son, becoming the third adopted child of Willie and Korie.

“My senior year in high school, I went to a Christian school, and my Bible teacher adopted a child that year,” Korie Robertson said. “He talked a lot about the importance of what the Bible says, that the act of pure religion is taking care of widows and orphans in their distress.

“It really touched my heart. Willie and I were dating my senior year and he was on-board from the very beginning.”

That teacher’s vision now has a grand platform in the Robertsons, who can speak to and influence hundreds of millions through TV, social media and the race at TMS this week.

This week Willie and Korie will launch Drive Adoption, a foundation teaming with NASCAR that is designed to raise awareness about adoption. The goal is lofty: Every child in need can find the love only a family can offer.

“Until it gets to be the number zero that children are looking for homes, we’re going to continue to talk about it,” Korie said. “The sad fact is a lot of kids will turn 18 and never have a family. They’ll go out to the world without ever having the love of a mom and dad. We want to make sure that we fix that problem but also create awareness.”

And being an example.

Rowdy is Willie’s and Korie’s sixth child, including three biological.

Willie often tells people that though he has rubbed elbows with the most important people of enterprise and politics, it was adopting son Will, now a teen, as a baby that was the best decision he has ever made.

At the time, Willie said, the family didn’t have the resources it does today. In fact, he added, he and his wife couldn’t even afford the adoption fee, instead paying it in installments.

“I’ve always made sure people know it’s not just wealthy people or celebrities who can adopt because they have the means,” Willie said. “We’re not saying it’s easy to adopt. It’s not. It’s not bringing a puppy home. It’s a human being. We realize there are challenges. We’re just trying to create that awareness so that people will at least be open to it and see themselves doing it through us.”

This weekend through Drive Adoption, a number of charitable organizations will be on hand to educate those who might be interested in adoption. Those organizations ultimately might turn out to be adoption partners for families.

Unlike his new brother Will, Rowdy is joining the family as a teen, which includes a unique set of circumstances. Rowdy is adjusting well, his parents said.

This year’s race will be the family’s last as title sponsor. NASCAR officials hope Duck Commander will remain in an as-yet-undetermined capacity.

But Texas will always have a special place in the hearts of the Robertsons: It was here that a son was born, here where they married their passion for adoption with racing.

“Every year at TMS is exciting,” Korie Robertson said. “This year is particularly exciting. We met our new son at the race last year. This race will always mean a lot to our family.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 3:53 PM with the headline "‘Duck Dynasty’ stars to launch adoption foundation during TMS race week."