The NASCAR Foundation announced its four national finalists Thursday for the second annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, which honors passionate NASCAR fans who make a difference.
The winner — who will be determined by online balloting, open now until Nov. 29 — will be honored during the season-ending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet in Las Vegas on Nov. 30. The top vote-getter will receive $100,000 toward their charitable cause and a 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid.
The four nominees, who hail from a diverse assortment of hometowns, are:
— Ron Eby (Windham, Maine), a 52-year-old mechanic who supports Camp Sunshine children’s retreat in his home state through the sale of home-cooked Mexican food and other fund-raising efforts.
— Michael Jackson (Duluth, Minn.), an 18-year-old youth leader with cerebral palsy who serves as a young adult community ambassador for the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
— Ali McDonough (Wilmington, Del.), a 21-year-old who founded the Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation for cancer research in memory of her younger brother.
— Lorri Shealy Unumb (Lexington, S.C.), a 44-year-old who founded the Autism Academy of South Carolina and legislated medical insurance reform that has since been adopted as law in 32 states.
Each of the four final nominees, who were selected from a nationwide search, is guaranteed $25,000 toward his or her charity. Voting will be conducted at NASCAR.com/award.
Robert Weaver of Talladega, Ala., was honored with the inaugural Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award last year for his more than 50 years of service as a volunteer with the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.
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