CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) –
Since the opening of the Dale Jr. Foundation in 2007, over $4 million has been raised to benefit charity.

One of the biggest events the foundation holds each year is the Win Dale Jr.’s Ride, where people have the chance to win a Corvette. WBTV had the opportunity to ride along with Dale Jr.’s wife, Amy Earnhardt, in the 2017 Corvette that the foundation is raffling off for this year’s fundraiser.

Earnhardt talked about the foundation and all the ways they give back to the community.

“It’s the seventh year we’ve teamed up with Chevrolet to raffle off a car, as part of just another project that we use to raise money for the Dale Jr. Foundation. It does really well,” Earnhardt said. “Everyone likes to win something, and who doesn’t want to win a car? Especially a Corvette. It’s been a really fun project, and one that we’ll continue to do, as long as Chevy wants to continue to partner with it and keep it going.”

When asked about her most memorable moments from the foundation, Earnhardt said two things stood out. “Dale does a lot of Make-A-Wish, honestly, I think he’s done the most Make-A-Wish out of any of the drivers,” Earnhardt said. “Sometimes they come to the race track. Getting to see them and meet them with their families is really heartwarming and touching. They all have completely different stories.”

Earnhardt’s second memorable moment is a newer memory. “The other one is the nationwide children’s hospital. We just recently paired up with them when Dale started doing more with the hospital with HMS, so we take trips up there too and get to see what they’re really doing,” Earnhardt said. “The kids are always so excited to see Dale and that is what makes me feel so good about it. I just like anytime you actually get to interact with the children more than anything.”

The foundation focuses on giving back to the underprivileged, but specifically children.

“We do things for different schools, Blessings in a Backpack, specifically with children around here. It’s kind of alarming with how many kids don’t have food at home, especially over the weekend. So that one’s a special one to all of us that we can see really locally in our community,” Earnhardt said. “Other than that, it’s really just fun to raise money, and help people in general. There’s like 80 different charities we give to every year, and some of them may need certain amounts one year, less the next year, and more the next year. So we just kind of fluctuate and work with the charities that we typically work with every year.”

Another notable event for the foundation is the Weekend with the 88s, which brings the two sports of NASCAR and football together. “We partner up with Greg Olsen from the Carolina Panthers. He is a super fun guy, but that’s another raffle that we do, and that’s in October,” Earnhardt said. “You get a weekend at the racetrack and a weekend at the football field. And you get to meet Greg and Dale both.”

A project that’s particularly special to Earnhardt is the Amy Klutch, which she teamed up with Jordan Fish who is the owner of Kustom Klutch. The klutch costs around 88 dollars and proceeds go to benefit the Dale Jr. Foundation.

“I just wanted to do something kind of unique and girly,” Earnhardt said. “But it’s fun to make a donation and actually have something tangible that you get to keep.”

If you want to purchase the Amy Klutch, you can visit http://www.kustomklutch.com/shop-online/the-amy-klutch. Raffle tickets for the Corvette can be purchased for just $25 at WinDaleJrsRide.com. The winning ticket gets to take home the brand new 2017 Corvette Grand Sport Coupe which was featured in the interview.

For more information on Win Dale Jr.’s ride, the Amy Klutch and more, you can go to thedalejrfoundation.org.

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

“I’m excited for the opportunity to once again partner with Showmars to support a cause that we both truly believe in,” Greg Olsen, founder of Receptions for Research, said. “Together we are making a significant impact on families in our community.”

The race is scheduled for Saturday, June 17 beginning at 8 a.m. Pre-race activities kick off at CMC Myers Park and from there, Greg Olsen and his family will lead a parade to the race start line on Cumberland Avenue.

The race ends on South Kings Drive at Levine Children’s Hospital with a post-race celebration, including a children’s fun run, refreshments and family entertainment.

The race costs $30 per participant, and the proceeds will support patients at Levine Children’s Hospital affected by a congenital heart defects.

For more details and to register, click here.

About The HEARTest Yard Program

The HEARTest Yard is a program under the Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation established in collaboration with Levine Children’s Hospital that provides no-charge medical support services to the families of babies born with congenital heart disease. Services include in-home, private nursing care, physical and speech therapy, and other benefits that serve as a complimentary extension of traditional hospital care. The program provides these services in an effort to reduce the mortality rate, increase the life expectancy and improve the quality of life for children born with heart disease.

Media Contact: Kristen McCullough at KMcCullough@R4R.org.

Meet Wyatt. He’s a crawling, mischievous little guy who’s hitting all of his growth and wellness milestones. A few short months ago, his future appeared to be everything but on track. Born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a life-threatening congenital heart defect, Wyatt’s life and his family’s future were scary and uncertain.

After two successful open-heart surgeries, Wyatt’s mom Katherine Church said going home “to nothing” after around-the- clock medical care seemed “daunting.” Enter The HEARTest Yard, a program under Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation.

“The HEARTest Yard made a world of difference for us,” Church said, explaining the in-home nurses who cared for Wyatt after he was released from the hospital. “Knowing we had someone keeping an extra eye on him was reassuring.”

The extra hands also afforded Wyatt’s parents the ability to spend quality time with big sister Carson. “Some days I could take her to the pool, the playground, the museum,” Church said, noting that 4-year-old Carson had been staying with relatives for a month while Wyatt was receiving treatment at Levine Children’s Hospital.

“The program helped us get back to a family of four,” Church said.

Wyatt is one of many babies treated at Levine Children’s Hospital who received the added layer of medical attention from The HEARTest Yard, which has been attributed to providing patients with not only a better life expectancy, but also a greater quality of life.

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Macie Cantadore is another recipient of The HEARTest Yard benefit. Macie is a 16-month-old girl who received in-home nursing care through The HEARTest Yard fund after two open- heart surgeries.

“We were in the ICU after Macie’s first surgery, and I remember getting teary-eyed while thinking, ‘Am I going to know what to do when we get home? She’s so fragile. And what about my two young sons?'” Macie’s mom, Aimee Cantadore, recalls.

For most families in this situation, the post-hospital, in-home nursing care is priceless, but unaffordable. The HEARTest Yard provides this care at no cost to the family, hospital, medical practioners or insurance provider.

“It would have been so overwhelming without those nurses,” Cantadore said. “Financially, we would not have been able to hire them. Just knowing they were coming gave us peace of mind.”

The medical staff at Levine Children’s Hospital acknowledges the significant benefit of The HEARTest Yard program, which since its inception has funded $1.7 million to the program benefiting pediatric cardiovascular patients at the hospital.

“This program helps to bridge the gap between hospitalizations for these kids to when they are home with their families,” said Dr. Paul Kirshbom, chief of pediatric cardiovascular surgery at Levine Children’s Hospital.

“The home-health nursing that the program provides can be the difference between a happy outcome and a sad one, which is an incredible gift to the children in our area.”

Greg Olsen, the charity’s founder and brainchild behind the fund, said, “While we’re extremely proud of the large dollar contribution we’ve made to the hospital, we’re chiefly inspired by the individual lives impacted, in which the program undoubtedly provides a better quality of life for heart babies and their families.”

Olsen’s foundation, Reception for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation, contributes more than 98 cents of every dollar to the cause, operating on an extremely minimal overhead in order to further the mission to the maximum extent possible.

About The HEARTest Yard Program

The HEARTest Yard is a program under the Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation established in collaboration with Levine Children’s Hospital that provides no-charge medical support services to the families of babies born with congenital heart disease. Services include in-home, private nursing care, physical and speech therapy, and other benefits that serve as a complimentary extension of traditional hospital care. The program provides these services in an effort to reduce the mortality rate, increase the life expectancy and improve the quality of life for children born with heart disease.

Media Contact: Kristen McCullough at KMcCullough@R4R.org.

CHARLOTTE – Greg Olsen’s good deeds continued on Friday night, as he and his mother teamed up to raise more than $100,000 for local breast cancer research.
The Panthers tight end, and his mother Susan, helped to host the first annual Speak PINK event at the Ritz Carlton in Uptown.
Susan is a 17-year breast cancer survivor.
The event drew over 250 people, and was hosted by Carolinas HealthCare Foundation, and sponsored by Charlotte Radiology.

The money will go towards local breast cancer programs and to research at Levine Cancer Institute.
There’s a reason my mom is still here 17 years later,” Greg Olsen added. “There’s a reason there are survivors scattered throughout this room. That hasn’t always been the case. That’s because of advances made by doctors and researchers and philanthropists who have given of their time, energy, and resources. These events are what spearhead these doctors for doing incredible things.”
For more information about Speak PINK, visit www.givecarolinas.org/speakpink

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and his mother teamed up this weekend to raise $100,000 for breast cancer research. The pair hosted the first annual Speak PINK event at the Ritz Carlton in Charlotte.

The event drew 250 people and was hosted by Carolinas HealthCare Foundation. The presence of Olsen’s mother is especially awesome. She’s a 17-year survivor of breast cancer herself.

“There’s a reason my mom is still here 17 years later,” the tight end said, via WCNC in Charlotte. “There’s a reason there are survivors scattered throughout this room. That hasn’t always been the case. That’s because of advances made by doctors and researchers and philanthropists who have given of their time, energy, and resources. These events are what spearhead these doctors for doing incredible things.”

Major props to Olsen and his mother here. It seems like this was a smashing success.
#Carolina Panthers