Voting under way for JDRF car design contest

DEARBORN, Mich. -- The green flag is waving for the fourth annual JDRF Race Car Design Contest, hosted by the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Children from around the country with type 1 diabetes have turned in their designs in the hopes they'll see their work on Sprint Cup rookie Trevor Bayne's Ford Fusion as it races around Michigan International Speedway in August.

Fans are invited to vote at www.jdrf.org/ford, where designs from JDRF chapters have been posted for contention until voting ends on June 30. The public is invited to vote for their favorite car design by making a monetary donation to JDRF. The top five donation-earning designs will advance to the finals, when the winning design will be chosen by Bayne, the Wood Brothers and FCSD representatives.

"We are grateful to Ford for their generosity and are excited for the opportunity for JDRF supporters to be part of our valued partnership," said Yvonne Miller, national director of corporate development for JDRF. "We encourage JDRF supporters to vote for their favorite designs, created by children wanting to make an impact in the research of type 1 diabetes. This is a fun and creative way for children to become an important part of our mission to fund research toward better treatments and eventually a cure for type 1 diabetes."

The contest has raised nearly $200,000 for research toward better treatments and eventually a cure for type 1 diabetes.

"Every stage of this contest is special for us. It starts with the invitation for children to submit designs and builds in excitement through the whole contest," said Brett Wheatley, director of marketing, FCSD. "We're really looking forward to following the donation results and then voting to decide which child's design will end up on Trevor Bayne's car. Every year we're impressed by the designs that come in. We wish every child who submitted a race car design good luck."

The winning child and their parents will be invited to Dearborn, Mich. for the official unveiling of their paint scheme at Ford Motor Co. World Headquarters with FCSD, Wood Brothers Racing and Bayne, before watching their car at MIS.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes 15,000 children and 15,000 adults every year. There currently is no cure, and people with the disease must routinely monitor their blood sugar and take insulin to stay alive.

"Fired Up for a Cure" was the theme chosen by last year's winner, 8-year-old Carson Luther of Wildwood, Mo. Luther raised more than $5,000 of the nearly $40,000 pledged in last year's Design Your Own Race Car event. Luther and his family were special guests of FCSD and the Wood Brothers in Charlotte for the unveiling and watched their winning paint scheme race in the October Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.