CORNELIUS  – Visit Lake Norman and Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation will host the Ryan Newman Charity Fishing Tournament on Dec. 8.

The two-day event kicks off the evening of Dec. 7 with a charity dinner and auction for the Ryan Newman Foundation, featuring NASCAR celebrities including Martin Truex, Jr., Regan Smith, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart with entertainment provided by Nashville recording artists Eric Paslay and Tim Dugger.

The weigh-ins and vendor area open at Blythe at 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at Blythe Landing and are free and open to the public. Visit www.ryannewmanregister.org for additional info on prizes,  rules and registration relating to the fishing tournament.

Proceeds from the charity dinner and fishing tournament will benefit the Ryan Newman Foundation, which works to educate and encourage people to spay or neuter their pets and to adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters; to educate children and adults about the importance of conservation so the beauty of the great outdoors can be appreciated by future generations; and to provide college scholarship funding through the Rich Vogler Scholarship program to students interested in auto racing careers.