Exactly 7 Years Ago, a Mysterious Donor Got Xfinity Series Icon to Pay an Ultimate Tribute as the Devastating News From Cincinnati Zoo Continues to Leave a Mark on the World
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Multiple species have had to face the consequences of humanity’s actions. Some are extinct, some are endangered, and some are poached for their body; it is tough out there in the wild for them. Humans have certainly made it difficult for some beings to co-exist.
One of the victims of the trend was Harambe, the Western Lowland Gorilla, who sparked a massive outrage with his death in 2016. Tributes and prayers came in from all over the world, including one from NASCAR. We go back in time to 2016 when Xfinity Series driver Ryan Ellis sent prayers to the fallen animal through changes in his car with the help of a secretive donor.
Ryan Ellis Donned Public-Funded Design Sponsored by RMNB
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Russian Motors Never Break or RMNB are a media conglomerate devoted to the ice hockey team Washington Capitals. Their name comes from their love for the captain of the Caps and the Russian ice hockey team, Alex Ovechkin. Ellis shares the same enthusiasm as RMNB for the Caps, leading to the collaboration. In 2016, they raised $8,840, with the custom design, to sponsor Ellis’ #25 Camaro for the Drive Sober 200 Xfinity race at Dover International Speedway.
One of the special features of the custom design was the engraving of names of people who took part in the charity. The RMNB designers create a new hood design, a bumper design, and several other lower quarter panel decals. The car’s hood features everyone who donated more than $20 to the fundraiser.
#DCHL #RMNB – A first look at Ryan Ellis’s RMNB-sponsored NASCAR race car with your names on it https://t.co/K8ig8Y0Xjh via @russianmachine
— Patrick Judge 👨👩👦👦🏒📱📝 (@judgep15) September 29, 2016
One of the donors had an interesting idea to contribute in the name of the late gorilla Harambe. After the incident at Cincinnati Zoo, which led to the demise of Harambe, the tribute was truly heart-touching. Featuring among other contributors, Harambe’s engraving on the blue silhouette remains one of the best tributes from NASCAR to the unfortunate incident.
The incident that led to Harambe’s death in the Cincinnati Zoo
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On May 28, 2016, a three-year-old child by the name Isaiah Gregg fell into Harambe’s enclosure. The child, accompanied by his parents, was on a visit to the Cincinnati Zoo when he somehow slipped into the closed space. In what was called a display of strength by the beast, Harambe dragged Isaiah by his arms, putting him in danger.
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The zoo officials came to know about the incident only 10 minutes later. While 10 minutes might not seem like much, it is quite long for a 3 year old inside a cage with a lowland gorilla. When the officials arrived, Harambe was already toying with the poor Isaiah. Assessing the situation as potentially life-threatening, the authority had to take a quick decision.
Seven years ago today, RIP Harambe pic.twitter.com/iNyQ7hTmgU
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 28, 2023
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The confusion stays, whether to tranquilize him and let the child struggle for a few minutes or to put an end to Harambe’s life. Forced to go with the latter, the beast was taken down and Isaiah was rescued from the enclosure. Ever since then, the debate has gone on if the decision to kill him was fair or not.
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Edited by:
Ranvijay Singh