In honor of its “10 Years of Giving” celebration, The NASCAR Foundation is gearing up for its first-ever Honors Gala in New York City. Since 2006, the foundation has donated $25 million to more than one million children across the country.
The star-studded event is slated to take place on September 27 in the Big Apple. During the gala, Betty Jane France, Founder and Chairwoman Emeritus of The NASCAR Foundation, will present the organization’s Humanitarian Award to a racing fan who has shown tremendous dedication to improving the lives of children in their communities.
Who will be this year’s finalists for #BJFHAward presented by @nationwide88? Tune into NASCAR America @ 6p tomorrow pic.twitter.com/PDVkQJpiJa
— TheNASCARFoundation (@NASCAR_FDN) July 12, 2016
According to a press release, the Humanitarian Award has benefitted nearly 200,000 children since launching six years ago. The winner is chosen through a public vote between four finalists beginning on Wednesday (July 13).
In addition to the Humanitarian Award, other honors will be handed out including the first-ever Founder’s Award, which recognizes philanthropy through use of time, talent and resources through professional and personal actions to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children.
This year’s recipient is Mark Lazarus, Chairman of the NBC Sports Group.
Lazarus serves on the board of governors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America as well as the board of directors for the Atlanta-based East Lake Foundation, helping families build better lives through community revitalization with mixed-income housing, cradle-to-college education, and health and wellness programs.
“Mark is simply an exceptional individual and we could not have chosen a more deserving person to receive this inaugural award,” France said in a press release. “This will make the evening even more memorable and we thank all of our partners for their continued support.”
The NASCAR Foundation is also gearing up for the launch of its Speediatrics Children’s Fund to continue providing state-of-the-art medical treatment to more than 50,000 children on an annual basis.
“It is exciting to host this event in New York, the home of many great philanthropists, and to honor individuals that give so much of their personal time and energy towards helping others,” said Lorene King, Executive Director of The NASCAR Foundation. “We would like to thank Nationwide and all our partners for their support as we look back on what we have accomplished in 10 years and look forward to achieving even more going forward.”
In addition to the award ceremony, pop star Rachel Platten will perform her hits including “Fight Song” and “Stand by You” for the attendees.
For ticket information or table sponsorships, please visit www.nascarfoundation.org/Honorsgala.