The Dale Jr. Foundation announced today that its premier fundraising initiative – Dale Jr.’s “Driven To Give” event hosted by Jeff Foxworthy – earned a net total of over $140,000 in a single day of ride-alongs, dinner, and entertainment. It capped a yearlong effort to provide resources to underprivileged youth to improve their confidence and education. In 2011, The Dale Jr. Foundation will have raised more than $260,000 to distribute to charities and non-profit organizations nationwide.
“Through the Foundation, we’ve had several fund-raising initiatives this year, but none as big as this,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Although we’ve done charity auctions in the past, Driven To Give was sort of new for us, and we weren’t sure what to expect. We brought in top-level entertainment, and we added other new elements to enhance the overall experience of the donors. I have to say we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome, and excited already for next year.”
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy hosted Dale Jr.’s “Driven To Give” and provided his usual hysterics to the private party, which roared when he capped his trademark “You might be a redneck” bit with, “If your son’s name is Dale Jr. and your name isn’t Dale… you might be a redneck.” Country Music Hall of Fame member Randy Owen ended the evening with a concert, singing many of the songs made famous by his multi-platinum country and southern rock band Alabama.
The event took place at Hendrick Motorsports and included dinner, meet-n-greets, and a silent auction. Earlier in the day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. gave rides in a two-seat version of the No. 88 National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet, made possible by the NASCAR Racing Experience.
“This was a tremendous team effort,” said Kelley Earnhardt, general manager of JR Motorsports and board member for The Dale Jr. Foundation. “We had a great turnout and a ton of participation from so many people. I can’t thank those people enough. We are extremely grateful to everyone who participated in making this event a success, from sponsors to individual donors to people who simply donated their services. Many kids and underprivileged youth will have something to smile about because of the generosity shown to during Driven To Give.”
The funds accumulated by The Dale Jr. Foundation will benefit Levine Children’s Hospital, Make A Wish Foundation, the VH1 Save the Music Foundation and other regional charities that encompass the Foundation’s mission.
Earlier this month, The Dale Jr. Foundation held a three-month raffle that awarded Dale Jr.’s personal 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible to a lucky ticket-holder. Gail Fontaine of Roanoke, Va. took ownership of the grand prize when Dale Jr. personally handed over the keys on Sept. 27 at JR Motorsports.
In August, The Dale Jr. Foundation teamed up with Blessings In A Backpack to donate $28,000 to Jackson Elementary School in Kannapolis, N.C. The Blessings In A Backpack program sends backpack meals home with kids to low-income households for the weekend. The Foundation also donated a $30,000 grant to Neal Middle School in Durham, N.C. through The VH1 Save The Music Foundation. That money helped restart the school’s band program that was cut last year and supported a school-wide music education initiative.
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