Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award winner announced Friday
LAS VEGAS — NASCAR’s top drivers mixed and mingled at a reception Wednesday night at the Wynn Las Vegas, but their customary star power was outshone by four special individuals making a life-changing impact in the NASCAR community.
The four finalists for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award took center stage Wednesday night, introduced by the award’s namesake, the widow of former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. After the four were introduced, France said this year’s selections “raised the bar” with their contributions to philanthropy.
“That wasn’t easy to do,” France said. “The bar was already pretty high.”
Voting for the fourth annual award continues through Thursday at midnight ET at NASCAR.com/award. The winner will be announced Friday night during the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony, with the recipient collecting a $100,000 contribution for his or her charity from Bank of America and a 2015 Camry provided by award sponsor Toyota.
The other three finalists will receive $25,000 donations for their causes. France was quick to point out that regardless of Friday’s announcement, all of the four nominees were already winners.
“Their stories are emotional and impactful,” France said. “They truly represent the heart and soul of the NASCAR world, which we all know is much more than racing. Caring, compassion and commitment — that’s what we’ve been introduced to this evening.”
The four finalists — who were announced at Kansas Speedway in October — come from all regions of the country. Wednesday evening, they converged in Las Vegas to take photos and exchange greetings with the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers.
The four nominees for this year’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award are:
• Tammy Anderson-Lee, San Diego: A longtime volunteer with the Autism Society of San Diego, Anderson-Lee has been instrumental in teaching survival swimming to the community with her innovative Pool PALS program.
• Amber Larkin; Windermere, Florida: Larkin founded the Noah’s Light Foundation in 2010 to help fund research and raise awareness for finding a cure for pediatric brain cancer. The foundation is named after her son, who passed away from the disease in 2012.
• Chris McElwee; Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: The founder of Michael’s Way, named in memory of his brother’s bout with leukemia, has raised more than $400,000 to help families of children with cancer.
• Daniel Noltemeyer; Louisville, Kentucky: Noltemeyer, a 32-year-old living with Down Syndrome, helped form Best Buddies Kentucky with the goal of helping raise awareness and furthering social activities for people with developmental disabilities.
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