DEARBORN, Mich., August 24, 2010 – For the last 60 days, JDRF children have entered their own designs in a unique race – a race to be featured on the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Charlotte this October.
All of these children with Type 1 diabetes submitted their designs in Ford Customer Service Division’s Design Contest to Support Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and there’s just two weeks left for the voting public to help decide what design will be featured on NASCAR champion Bill Elliott’s Fusion that weekend.
For the past two years JDRF children have helped design the paint scheme featured on the NHRA Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car. This year, in honor of the Wood Brothers celebrating 60 years of racing Ford products in NASCAR, FCSD has decided to bring the successful contest over to the legendary race team.
The NASCAR Car Design Contest voting started on July 6, and soon, one lucky JDRF artist will see his or her winning design come to life on the famous No. 21 car.
Ford Customer Service Division encourages everyone to visit www.jdrf.org/ford, view more than 50 paint scheme designs, and vote for their favorite children’s design by making a monetary donation to JDRF before voting closes on Friday, September 3.
The top five donation-earning designs will go in front of a panel of judges and be narrowed down to one. The winning design will be unveiled and then featured on the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane sponsored Ford Fusion during the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 16.
“We have some great designs this year and we’re eager to see which designs the public vote in as their top-five favorites,” said Brett Wheatley, Director of Marketing, Ford Customer Service Division. “Selecting the winner this year will be tough because the children have really come up with some great and innovative designs. I’m pleased that we are participating in the program for a third year and helping raise awareness and hopefully finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.”
The winning designer will be selected on September 8, 2010 and will be invited with his or her parents for an official unveiling of their paint scheme at the Wood Brothers Racing shop in Charlotte, NC, on Wednesday, October 13. In addition, the winning child will also get the chance to see their car design run at Charlotte Motor Speedway during NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Thursday, October 14.
Last year’s winner was Liam Flanagan, an eight-year-old resident of Williamstown, New Jersey, and a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Flanagan and his family were special guests at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC, where his design appeared on Bob Tasca III’s Ford Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car.
In the first two years of the design contest, more than $120,000 has been raised for JDRF.
Diabetes affects more Ford families than any other disease. Ford Motor Company has raised more than $27 million for JDRF since the grassroots campaign started in 1998.
About Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease, which strikes children suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications, which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.
Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.3 billion to diabetes research, including more than $156 million in FY2008. In FY2008, the Foundation funded 1,000 centers, grants and fellowships in 22 countries. http://www.jdrf.org
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About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers, independent distributors, and automotive parts retailers and are backed by Ford Motor Company’s Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane’s nationwide network will surpass 600 facilities, each providing the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com.
About FordParts.com
FordParts.com allows customers to shop online, order and receive original equipment parts, connect to a Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealership of their choice for the parts expertise, personal delivery assistance, and post-sale follow-up associated with a traditional purchase at a parts counter. FordParts.com is designed to support anyone who needs to find and buy original equipment Ford parts. Repair shops, body shops, fleets and do-it-yourselfers will appreciate the speed and convenience of researching and purchasing Ford parts via this online portal, and the flexibility of choosing in-store pick-up or having the parts delivered. For more information, visit www.fordparts.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
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