Pacific Raceways has presented ProFormance Racing School founders Don Kitch Jr. and Donna Porada-Kitch with an impressive challenge coin that elegantly sums up their unique association.
The walls at ProFormance Racing School display a variety of honors, awards, and other emblems of distinction that they’ve garnered over the years. Recently a new award has come their way, one that is a bit more personal in nature.
In honor of a long friendship and professional association, Pacific Raceways has presented Don Kitch Jr. and Donna Porada-Kitch with a challenge coin. The medallion symbolizes the relationship that Pacific Raceways has enjoyed with ProFormance, in the past, present, and also the future.
Challenge coin: a token of gratitude
“I wanted to create a coin with my husband, one that would show gratitude to our friends and colleagues,” says Yoon Joo Fiorito, who co-owns Pacific Raceways with her husband Jason. “Gratitude is something we don’t do enough of.”
The idea of a coin which commemorates a relationship, an achievement, or a belonging to a special community, is not new; it goes back to ancient Greece at least. Yoon Joo’s first encounter with the concept was when a soccer referee gave her one to show his respect for her playing. It made a big impression on her. When the time came to symbolize the ties between the Fioritos and Kitches as close friends and colleagues, Yoon Joo remembered how meaningful a challenge coin can be.
Designing the challenge coin
But what would such a coin look like? On a long family drive in Arizona, the concept took shape. Yoon Joo knew she wanted it to have the word “RACE” on the coin, but admitted she was stuck on what the letters should stand for. During the drive, her sister Hyo Joo and brother-in-law Mike gave her invaluable help in arriving at the meaning of the letters:
- RESPECTED
- AUTHENTIC
- CONNECTED
- EXCELLENCE
The front of the challenge coin features the Pacific Raceways logo and a vista Mount Rainier, celebrating the track’s singular location. It also bears the date, a nod to the raceway’s long history in the area.
The reverse of the coin displays the RACE acronym, the qualities that Jason and Yoon Joo Fiorito revere in their long-time friends. The gears in the design seem to resonate with Yoon Joo’s own role at Pacific Raceways. “I do what they ask,” she says. Essentially, she provides support in any area she’s needed, describing herself as “Just another cog in the wheel. And when those gears move together, it’s amazing!”
Dave Conover, a longtime ProFormance instructor with a background in graphics and multimedia, created an impressive design that conveys these cherished qualities. It took about a year to put together, but the results are worth it.
An expression of esteem
“The racing family is unique,” says Yoon Joo. “When you get into a race car, there can’t be any distractions. It requires undivided focus; you can’t let your mind wander. There’s something pure about that. If you go door-to door with someone at 100 mph, there’s a certain sense of trust. I admire that.”
The coin expresses this admiration for what Don and Donna have achieved, and more important, the manner in which they achieved it. “I love their dedication,” Yoon Joo says, “and the joy they have in what they do. When you look at what they do, and the length of time they’ve done it, and the excellence, I love them for it. The challenge coin is just an acknowledgement of that.”
