MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 18, 2016) – Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller started The Dale Jr. Foundation (TDJF) with the primary mission of making the lives of children better, and to honor this conviction, the Central and Western North Carolina chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation has named an award after the champion racing driver this year.

The Dale Jr. Indomitable Spirit Award honors an outstanding partner that embodies the heart of the organization's desire to share the power of a wish, through persistence, compassion, integrity and dedication, making a lasting impact on the Make-A-Wish® community.

Through his efforts with TDJF, Earnhardt Jr. has indeed been an outstanding partner for Make-A-Wish, granting 244 wishes to children of all ages. That’s among the most by any athlete, and TDJF has given more than $500,000 to the Central and Western North Carolina chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation since 2008.

The inaugural award was presented to Earnhardt Miller, vice-president of TDJF, on Feb. 12 at the annual Wish Ball in Charlotte. The Wish Ball brings together more than 600 people from a variety of industries in the city, and the award will continue to be given in honor of its namesake at the annual gathering.

“Our guiding principle at TDJF is to help children in need, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation mission gives many, many children the opportunity to have their dreams realized,” Earnhardt Miller said. “Dale understands that, and he has made as many dreams come true as he can over the years. We are very pleased to be part of the Central and Western North Carolina Make-A-Wish Foundation’s quest, and even more proud to be the inaugural recipient of the Dale Jr. Indomitable Spirit Award.”

Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich their lives with hope, strength and joy. Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina covers the 51 westernmost counties of North Carolina, and will grant 273 wishes to children ages 2-1/2 to 18 in its territory this year. Depending on the type of wish, the average cost runs from $6,000 to $10,000.

“We knew we wanted to start the tradition of giving an award at the Wish Ball,” said Lauren Harnett of Make-A-Wish. “The gala is the largest celebration of our mission each year, and seemed the perfect venue to say thank you to our tried-and-true partners from the very Wish kids they support. There was no doubt in our minds that the first recipient would be The Dale Jr. Foundation.

“The more we talked about the award, and the more we talked about how much TDJF deserved it, it became clear that we should name the award after Dale Jr.  His passion for the Wish experience, his support of it through both granting and funding wishes, and his genuine joy for these Wish kids is exactly what we intended this award to represent.”

ABOUT THE DALE JR FOUNDATION:
The Dale Jr. Foundation is a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.  For more information, visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org.