Sprint Nextel VP Leon Frazier, left, and John Walsh, right, present the grand prize check to this year's 'America's Most Wanted' All-Star, Sheriff David Shoar. Credit: NASCAR Images

Sprint Nextel, NASCAR partners with AMW

John Walsh at Lowe's to present All-Star check, profile missing girl

CONCORD, N.C. -- John Walsh, host of the long-running television program America's Most Wanted, has found a partner in his fight against those who prey upon children.

Walsh and AMW have joined forces with Sprint Nextel and NASCAR to continue to fight.

'AMW' ALL-STAR CONCORD, N.C. -- St. John's County Sheriff David Shoar of St. Augustine, Fla., is the 2006 recipient of the 2006 "America's Most Wanted" All-Star award.  Shoar was among eight national finalists, which was voted on by visitors to the "AMW" Web site.  Shoar will donate the $10,000 check rewarded by "AMW" and Sprint Nextel to Steve Bailey, a St. John's deputy sheriff who suffered a stroke. Bailey worked with students as a youth resource officer but now relies on a wheelchair and assistance for many daily activities.  "I don't think this country does enough for first responders, and everybody talks about it, but Nextel really steps up," said John Walsh, host of "America's Most Wanted" who along with Sprint Nextel VP Leon Frazier presented the check to Shoars in Victory Lane prior to the Nextel Open.  -- Official Release  To learn more about Sheriff David Shoar and the other national finalists, click here

Walsh was on hand during All-Star Weekend festivities at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and his appearance there was two-fold:

• He, along with Sprint Nextel, presented a $10,000 check to the America's Most Wanted All-Star, an award established last year to honor first responders -- law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and others who go above and beyond the call of duty.

• AMW also profiled a local missing girl, Asha Degree, who's story is scheduled to air this week (9 p.m. ET, Saturday, FOX). America's Most Wanted sponsored the No. 63 Ford of J.R. Patton in the Truck Series race at Lowe's, with Asha's picture donning the quartepanel of the truck, which failed to qualify by one-tenth of a second.

"You know how brutal that truck qualification is," Walsh said. "But we're hoping this will generate some tips about this beautiful little girl."

May 25 is National Missing Children's Day.

Walsh works closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Asha turned 15 on May 19. She has been missing since Valentine's Day of 2000.

ABOUT ASHA Asha Degree was 9 years old when she was taken in the middle of the night from her North Carolina home.  She was last seen walking along Hwy. 18 in Shelby, N.C., about 4 a.m. ET on Feb. 14, 2000, the day of the disappearance.  For more information on Asha's case, click here •   National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or phone 800-THE-LOST •   May 25 is National Missing Children's Day

"[Asha] was kidnapped right from her home," Walsh said. "Her parents, the not knowing, is killing them. She really hasn't gotten a lot of publicity. [Now] we got to put her on the show."

Walsh is thankful for Sprint Nextel and NASCAR's involvement. He says the National Center has been overwhelmed and that the organization was asked by Homeland Security and FEMA to get 5,000 misplaced kids to their families.

"I really believe corporate America has to step up to the plate, and Sprint Nextel and NASCAR are doing that," Walsh said.

The National Center runs the hotline for missing and exploited children, creates computer images for age-enhanced photos of what the child may look like today, and is the CyberTipline for pedophiles. In the past year, the center has helped in the capture of 1,017 Internet pedophiles. It also helps victims of Hurricane Katrina.

ABOUT 'AMW' "America's Most Wanted" has been on the air for 18 years, the fourth-longest running program in television.  As of May 20, 888 fugitives had been apprehended. Since then two others have been captured. To date, 50 missing children and persons have been located.  "I've seen what the American public expects and what they'll do," host John Walsh said. "The American public has said we're sick of these lowlifes, we're sick of these scumbags and we want to partner up with you."  "America's Most Wanted" airs at 9 p.m. ET, Saturdays on FOX. To learn more about the show, visit its official Web site

Walsh says NASCAR is planning more events and fundraisers.

"This is unbelievable," he said of the All-Star Weekend. "There's such a vibe in the air. It's a labor of love to come here to the all-star shootout."

With the help of the Frances, Walsh is hoping to get something done in his home state of Florida during one of the Daytona races.

"You just can't be a hugely popular, successful entity like NASCAR without giving back," said Walsh, who credits the sport's partnership with FOX for its national growth.

"This has made NASCAR mainstream America. When FOX took over NASCAR, I think it was a regional, Southern thing. Now I go places and people talk about NASCAR. They know who the drivers are and they know who the teams are.

"Now I think it's time to parlay that into making a statement for children."