Racing Shoes to Benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta #desi9ntodrive
The Chase Elliott Foundation officially re-launched its fourth annual "DESI9N TO DRIVE" art collaboration with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Children's), the largest healthcare provider for children in Georgia. Elliott and his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates will wear racing shoes designed by four Children's patients (or siblings of patients) during this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 7.
Patients at Children’s submitted color sketches of racing shoes depicting their "big dreams" and four sketches were selected to be replicated on the Alpinestars racing shoes worn by the Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Beginning today, each of the four racing shoes are being auctioned online for nine days, ending June 14.
Auction proceeds go to the Chase Elliott Foundation to benefit Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Covid-19 fund and the summer camp program that Children’s runs for its large patient network. Children's Covid-19 fund helps provide needed support, supplies and equipment for their most fragile patients and frontline workers.
"Wearing these special racing shoes and meeting the designers behind DESI9N TO DRIVE is one of the great things we do all season," said Elliott, a Dawsonville, Ga., native and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner in the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "We've been fortunate to raise a significant amount of money over the last few years to enable more patients to enjoy time at summer camp and away from the hospital. In addition, this year my foundation will match the auction proceeds and make a separate donation to the Children's Covid-19 fund."
Elliott's teammates at Hendrick Motorsports include drivers Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion, Alex Bowman and William Byron.
"Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is honored to be able to continue our partnership with Chase Elliott on the DESI9N TO DRIVE program, which helps expand our summer camp program offerings to meet the needs of our growing patient population," said Beth Buursema, senior director, corporate partnerships at Children's. "To have Chase also make a sizeable donation to our Covid-19 fund helps enable Children's to properly and safely care for our patients and families during this difficult time."
The DESI9N TO DRIVE program has raised and donated over $100,000 from the auction and corporate partner support in its first three years.
I’ll be rocking these shoes for tomorrow’s race at Atlanta. They’re up for auction to benefit @childrensatl check it out 👇🏼https://t.co/48LUKwkI60 #Desi9nToDrive pic.twitter.com/d06Cv9bhxs— Alex Bowman (@AlexBowman88) June 6, 2020
The winning racing shoe sketches were submitted by three patients and one patient sibling at Children’s ranging in age from five to 14 years old. The Hendrick drivers picked their favorite sketch, resulting in the following driver-designer pairings:
• Chase Elliott – Brooke Winokur, age 8
• Jimmie Johnson – Evelyn Odell, age 5 (older sister of patient)
• Alex Bowman – Justin Mingo, age 14
• William Byron – Julia Hope Sears, age 9
Following the race, each driver will sign their respective racing shoes, which are being auctioned off through June 14 at the online auction site of the NASCAR Foundation located at nascarfoundation.org/chaseelliott.
Several corporate partners are matching the highest winning bid of Elliott's shoes in the online auction, including NAPA AUTO PARTS, Mountain Dew, Hooters, Kelley Blue Book, Valvoline, and SunTrust.
ABOUT CHASE ELLIOTT FOUNDATION
The Chase Elliott Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support and financial assistance to well-qualified charitable organizations with an emphasis on helping others live healthier, happier lives. Elliott is the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE race car for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series. Elliott was voted the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver in 2018 and 2019. Visit chaseelliott.com/foundation for more information.
ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA
As the only freestanding pediatric healthcare system in Georgia, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is the trusted leader in caring for kids. The not-for-profit organization’s mission is to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow through more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs, top healthcare professionals, and leading research and technology. Children’s is one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, managing more than one million patient visits annually at three hospitals, Marcus Autism Center, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics and 20 neighborhood locations. Consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has impacted the lives of kids in Georgia, across the United States and around the world for more than 100 years thanks to generous support from the community. Visit choa.org for more information.
