Greg Olsen is auctioning off a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro convertible later this month to benefit his charity, the HEARTest Yard, which supports programs at the Levine Children’s Hospital.

The antique car was donated anonymously to the Carolina Panthers tight end recently for the purpose of being auctioned off, said Olsen’s friend Jason Lozon, who is helping coordinate logistics for the auction.

The vehicle was recently appraised for $139,000, Lozon added.

The event’s taking place at auction company Barrett-Jackson’s inaugural Northeast Auction June 23 at the Mohegan Sun, a casino in Connecticut. Viewers can watch it on Velocity TV at 4:30 p.m., Lozon said.

“I wanted this Camaro to improve the lives of families and immediately knew that auctioning it through Barrett-Jackson would be the best way to maximize the exposure for it,” Olsen said in a statement.

The Camaro’s body paint has been professionally restored, as have its engine, transmission and undercarriage components, the company said.

The Olsens set up the HEARTest Yard fund in 2012 when their son T.J. was born with a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The initiative supports families with children born with HLHS who are treated at Levine like T.J. was. It provides about $25,000 to $30,000 in in-home nursing care and speech therapy, among other services.

The HEARTest Yard Fund operates under the umbrella of Receptions for Research, which Olsen established in 2009. Its fundraisers have included golf tournaments, a yoga night at Old Mecklenburg Brewery and most recently, its inaugural 5K run last month.

The Carolina Panthers are not new to the wish granting game, quarterback Cam Newton has granted Make-A-Wish requests in the past. This time it looks like tight end Greg Olsen is fulfilling the wish of a 7-year old boy who was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Cowherd got to practice with Olsen and go through various drills at OTAs. He got to wear a number 88 jersey, Olsen’s number, with his name emblazoned on the back and sign a one-day contract. “Parker’s signing bonus was a big basket full of candy,” Cowherd’s mother Allison told the Charlotte Observer. “He was excited about that.”

These types of events show the true heart of the Panthers team, from jumping fences to play football with young students or granting a Make-A-Wish request, the Panthers love to make a difference in their community. The Panthers are making themselves role-models for the youth of America in a time when too many athletes are focused on themselves.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The NFL does not allow padded practices during organized team activities. But there was one Carolina Panthers player padded up for Tuesday morning’s practice.

Parker Cowherd, a 7-year-old diagnosed with a brain tumor last November, was in full pads as he participated in Tuesday’s practice as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Cowherd shadowed Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen, who was impressed by the youngster’s enthusiasm.

“Just to see the joy on his face to get a locker and put on a jersey and come out in shoulder pads, and it felt pretty hot, but he hung in there,” Olsen said of Parker. “We kept asking him if he wanted to take them off, but he said no. He’s a special kid. He’s a trooper and I was fortunate enough to spend the day with him.

“He was ready. He was not shy. He had the helmet and he wanted to carry it. I said, ‘You want me to carry it?’ ‘No, I got it.’ I wish somebody would carry my helmet.”

Olsen said Parker even provided some coaching tips, telling him at one point to get his pads down.

Olsen said the players probably get more out of visits from kids like Parker because of “their energy, their spirit, their optimism — it’s hard to miss.”

“These are special kids,” Olsen continued. “They have such an unbelievable outlook on life. It puts a lot of things in perspective.”

Parker, who is being treated at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, will also attend a Panthers game this season.

Greg Olsen is partnering up with ‘Bed for Kids’ and Ashley Furniture for a good cause. Thousands of kids in Charlotte sleep on the floor in Charlotte each night and the Panthers tight end wants to put an end to it. He is urging everyone in the community to donate their unused or unwanted beds, sofas, dressers, tables, lamps and more. Let’s help Greg by providing essential furniture for those who are less fortunate than us. Click here for more details.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Greg Olsen’s football story didn’t start with the Panthers, nor did it start with the Miami Hurricanes. It started when he was a 5-year-old boy, dreaming about playing football for Wayne Hills High School in northern New Jersey.

The Carolina tight end lives his life by the lessons he learned as a young athlete, even now as a 31-year-old father of three.

“There’s no other element of society for a young kid to really learn what the real world is like than playing youth athletics,” Olsen said at the Charlotte Touchdown Club’s Friday luncheon.

During his final year at Wayne Hills, Olsen and the rest of the Patriots won the school its first football state championship in 2002.

“It was not because of that one season,” Olsen said. “It was not because of me or any of the other guys on the team. It was because for three years, we never let results dictate our approach.”

Each member of the team was held to a high standard, Olsen said, regardless of his role.

In that established mindset, Olsen learned a whole new level of commitment and discipline through football.

But the lessons Olsen learned weren’t solely sports-related. Yes, they helped him on the field. But they also helped him off the field.

During his first NFL offseason with the Panthers, Olsen’s wife, Kara, became pregnant with twins. Their first son, Tate, was almost a year old at the time.

“May of 2012, we go for a routine ultrasound to find out the gender of the babies, and our life forever gets flipped upside down,” Olsen said.

T.J. was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare congenital heart condition. Having been born with half of a heart, if T.J. had not been treated immediately, he would have died. His sister, Talbot, was born without any hiccups.

Olsen said he relied on those childhood life lessons during this tough time. They not only taught him how to be a strong athlete, but more importantly, how to be a strong husband; a strong father.

“Never did I imagine how lessons learned from football, the lessons learned from my exposure to athletics would pretty much allow me to guide my family,” he said.

Olsen shares his story any chance he gets because he wants people to understand the importance of impacting children at a young age and teaching them life lessons from the start. The Charlotte Touchdown Club supports this cause, so Olsen supports the organization, along with his HEARTest Yard foundation.

Olsen recognizes that even though his life lessons were installed through athletics, they can be taught through other mediums, too — as long as they’re taught early.

“It might be 30 years later, 25 years later when they bring home a sick kid. It might be 10 years later when they’re having trouble finding a date to the prom,” Olsen said. “Regardless of what the situation is, it’s never too early to invest in our kids, because our kids are our community.”

CHARLOTTE – Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is making the most of the off-season.

Olsen is working for a cause close to his heart, Levine Children’s Hospital.

His “Receptions for Research” Foundation sponsored a 5K Saturday to raise money for families of babies born at the hospital.

One of Olsen’s children was born with a heart defect and was treated at Levine.

He says he’s happy people are getting involved.

“Yeah I think people understand just the tough battle that these kids face and what an incredible place Levine Children’s Hospital is. You know, I really think that resonates with our community and anything that supports those families, people are willing to come out and be a part of.”

Olsen says 100 percent of proceeds from the race will go directly to pediatric heart patients and their families.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions®, will auction a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible owned by All-Pro tight end Greg Olsen for charity at its inaugural Northeast Auction, June 23-25, 2016, at Mohegan Sun. The car will cross the auction block on June 23 with 100 percent of the hammer price going to Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation benefitting The HEARTest Yard.

“Selling a charity car is one of the most fulfilling things we do at our auctions,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “It is something that has been an important part of our company for a very long time as we’ve helped raise nearly $90 million to date. Having an NFL star like Greg attached to this car makes it very special and I am happy he chose Barrett-Jackson to help with this cause at our inaugural Northeast Auction.”

This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible (preview) features a professionally built engine, transmission and undercarriage using after-market components throughout. A built Dart V8, 427ci small-block engine and a Tremac 5-speed manual transmission power the Camaro. The body, paint and trim have been professionally restored, and the interior features custom upholstery along with dashboard and aftermarket instruments. Other features include aftermarket tires and billet wheels, a cowl-induction fresh-air hood, rear spoiler, body frame connectors and roll bar.

“I wanted this Camaro to improve the lives of families and immediately knew that auctioning it through Barrett-Jackson would be the best way to maximize the exposure for it,” said Olsen. “The auction company is the foremost leader in the industry, and its commitment and willingness to supporting charitable causes stands out. I’m looking forward to seeing this car cross the block for charity and, having grown up in the Northeast, it’s exciting for me to be a part of Barrett-Jackson’s first event at Mohegan Sun.”

The inaugural Northeast Auction at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, June 23-25, will be broadcast live on Velocity and Discovery Channel. For more information on becoming a bidder, follow the link to http://www.Barrett-Jackson.com/Bidder/Home.

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company

Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions®, is the leader in collector car auctions and automotive lifestyle events. The company produces auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida; at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, and Las Vegas, Nevada. With broadcast partners, Velocity and Discovery Channel, Barrett-Jackson will feature live television coverage in 2016, including broadcasts in over 100 countries internationally. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit http://www.barrett-jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694.

About Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation

Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation was established in 2009 to provide hospitals, doctors and scholars the resources necessary to enhance the lives of those affected by various forms of cancer and cardiovascular diseases or disorders. Receptions for Research partners with local and national organizations in the pursuit to discover a cure for these debilitating diseases and it’s their goal to make sure everyone has a second chance in life.

About The HEARTest Yard

Together with Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center they made it happen. The HEARTest Yard initiative is a family service program administered in conjunction with Levine Children’s Hospital located in Charlotte, NC. This cutting-edge program will provide families of babies affected by congenital heart disease with a multitude of services including in-home, private nursing care, physical therapy and speech therapy among other benefits.

Contacts
Corporate Communications
Barrett-Jackson
Rodney Scearce, 480-306-8253
Senior Media Relations Supervisor
RScearce@Barrett-Jackson.com

Greg Olsen’s HEARTest Yard Fund will host its inaugural 5K race May 21 to benefit programs at the Levine Children’s Hospital.

The Carolina Panthers tight end is teaming with sponsor Showmars Restaurants for the race, which starts at 8 a.m. at Irwin Academic Center on West Fifth Street and ends at the hospital on South Kings Drive. The race costs $30, and you can register here.

The HEARTest Yard is a fund the Olsen family set up when their son T.J. was born in 2012 with a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which includes an underdeveloped left ventricle and aorta.

The initiative supports families with children born with HLHS and treated at Levine like T.J. was. It provides about $25,000 to $30,000 in in-home nursing care, physical therapy and speech therapy, among other services.

The HEARTest Yard Fund operates under the umbrella of Receptions for Research, which Olsen established in 2009. Its fundraisers have included golf tournaments, a yoga night at Old Mecklenburg Brewery, country music concerts and a “Star Wars”/Panthers mashup T-shirt nicknamed “Purrbacca.” Olsen’s always there for the fundraisers.

For the May 21 race, family-friendly activities like a kids’ fun run, refreshments, music and inflatables will take place after the race at the finish line at the hospital. Because parking will be available at the start at Irwin, a free shuttle will be available to take participants back to their cars after the post-race festivities.

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Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation and Showmars Restaurants join forces to host the first annual 5K to benefit families of babies born at Levine Children’s Hospital with a heart defect.

“It’s with great pride that we’ve partnered with Showmars to support a cause that both organizations so deeply believe in,” Greg Olsen, founder of Receptions for Research, said.

“Together we can maximize our impact and fundraising potential to help children at Levine Children’s affected by congenital heart disease.”

“What I’m most pleased about this event is 100 percent of the proceeds from the race will go directly to pediatric heart patients and their families,” Olsen said, who is scheduled to attend the event.

The race is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at 8 a.m., and will begin at the Irwin Academic Center, located at 329 North Irwin Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202.
Participants will run or walk the scenic streets of the Queen City. Refreshments, music and inflatables will greet the racers at the finish line located adjacent to Levine Children’s Hospital. A free shuttle bus will transport racers from the finish line activities back to the Irwin Academic Center.

The race costs $30 per participant, and all of the proceeds will go to patients at Levine Children’s Hospital affected by a congenital heart defect.

For more details, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/Charlotte/HEARTestYardShowmars5K.

With a pep band, cheerleaders, and hundreds of screaming teenagers, Carolina Panthers star tight end Greg Olsen came to Charlotte Catholic High School Thursday to collect a $6,000 check that will benefit his “The Heartest Yard” foundation.

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