The NASCAR Foundation announced on Thursday the four finalists for its seventh annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide, which honors NASCAR fans who are also accomplished volunteers working for children’s causes in their communities throughout the United States.
The award winner will be determined via an online vote now underway and running through Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. (ET) at NASCAR.com/Award. The award will be presented on Nov. 30 during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas. The NASCAR Foundation will donate $100,000 to the charity represented by the award winner and $25,000 to each of the other three finalists’ charities. The award honors the memory and the philanthropic legacy of the foundation’s late founder, Betty Jane France, who passed away last August.
This year’s finalists hail from three areas that host NASCAR races (Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Talladega, Alabama). Those finalists include:
- Shannon Goldwater of Scottsdale, Arizona, the founder of Feeding Matters, which furthers advances in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric feed disorders.
- Julian Maha of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, the founder of KultureCity, an organization seeking to improve – and save – the lives of children with autism, while also educating society about inclusion of children with autism.
- Tammy Richardson of Las Vegas, representing the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation that provides 25 pediatric programs and services to more than 450 children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
- Chante Gonzalez Vido of Jamul, California, a two-time cancer survivor and head counselor at a camp for young cancer patients that is operated by The Seany Foundation, which strives to bring relief and happiness to children and their families battling cancer.
“Betty Jane France would be especially proud of this year’s finalists,” said The NASCAR Foundation Chairman Mike Helton. “All four have considerable accomplishments and would be a deserving winner of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. We urge NASCAR fans everywhere to vote for these NASCAR fans. Our finalists represent not only their respective charities but also the very best attributes our sport has to offer.”
Since the award’s inception, The NASCAR Foundation has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 children by providing more than $1 million in contributions to charities represented by finalists for the award.
“This year’s finalists have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of those that live in their respective communities,” said Mike Boyd, senior vice president of Marketing for Nationwide. “Nationwide is honored to help raise the level of national awareness for their different charities and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments in Las Vegas later this year.”
To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide and each of the national finalists, please visit:www.NASCAR.com/Award.
NASCAR PR
