The Dale Jr. Foundation 2017 Year-End Recap
TDJF raises second-highest amount of funds to benefit numerous charities
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 2, 2018) – The Dale Jr. Foundation capped another impressive year of fundraising initiatives by raising more than $850,000 – the second-highest effort since its inception. The funds will support more than 70 charities and groups on local, regional and national levels that The Foundation helps annually.
The Foundation’s mission of giving underprivileged individuals, with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals remains the primary blueprint for the organization’s activities every year, and 2017 was no exception. This year’s efforts were headlined by the annual Driven to Give Banquet in October. The Win Dale Jr.’s Ride raffle saw another massive show of giving, making it seven straight years of success for the Foundation’s activities.
The seventh annual Driven to Give Dinner and Auction hosted by The Dale Jr. Foundation raised $296,116 to help support the charities and causes embraced by the Dale Jr. Foundation. The Sept. 19 dinner/auction was held at the Fillmore in uptown Charlotte.
Last month, Dale Jr. and wife Amy announced they had created the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The fund, which was seeded with an $88,888 donation from The Dale Jr. Foundation, was further increased to $888,888.88 after Nationwide presented the Earnhardts with a check that included all the various event proceeds, including those from “Appreci88ion, An Evening with Dale Jr. presented by Nationwide”. The funds will champion the cause of pediatric injury rehabilitation, research and prevention.
Longtime family partner Nationwide Insurance partnered with The Dale Jr. Foundation in a number of initiatives this year, including the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Activity Room at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Earnhardt Jr. was also instrumental in a partnership with his favorite NFL team, the Washington Redskins and the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, and once again participated in the Weekend with the 88s promotion with Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen.
Other activities included a Bike Build for underprivileged first-grade students at Jackson Park Elementary School in Kannapolis, N.C., in conjunction with Oskar Blues’ Can’d Aid Foundation, and the gifting of a playground to Ryan and Krissie Newman’s Rescue Ranch in May.
This year’s effort will benefit many organizations, including Blessings in a Backpack, Camp LUCK, Children’s Hope Alliance, Classroom Central, Health Reach Community Clinic, Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina, Mooresville Christian Mission and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.