Thursday
Ford Motor Company Unveils Winning Design for Race Car Paint Scheme Contest Benefiting JDRF
Press Release- Seven-year-old Katie Hahn of Omaha, Neb. is the winner of the fourth-annual “JDRF Race Car Design Contest,” hosted by the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
- In four years, the JDRF-Ford partnership has resulted in more than $240,000 in donations to JDRF and the fight to find better treatments and ultimately a cure for type 1 diabetes.
- As JDRF’s only global partner, Ford has raised more than $35 million for JDRF since 1998, the most of any corporate partner to date.
The tie-dyed pattern can’t be missed. It’ll be everywhere the Wood Brothers Racing team goes during the Pure Michigan 400 this weekend, at Michigan International Speedway.
On their uniforms. On the pit lane wall. Katie and her family will wear matching shirts. Even Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 21 Ford Fusion, will be in on the fun.
Katie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of five. She and her family raised $4,210 online by asking their friends and family to cast their vote for her design by making a donation to JDRF. Overall, more than $43,000 was raised in the contest this year. In four years, the partnership has resulted in more than $240,000 in donations to support JDRF’s goal: to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes.
Bayne and representatives from FCSD, Ford and JDRF got their first glimpse of the “Driving Our Way to a Cure” No. 21 Ford Fusion at the official unveiling at Ford World Headquarters, where Mark Fields, Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company; President, The Americas welcomed the family and thanked them for their participation with host Brett Wheatley, Director, Marketing, FCSD.
“On behalf of JDRF, we congratulate Katie Hahn for creating such a unique design and for raising the critically needed funds for type 1 diabetes research,” said Scott McCormick, JDRF International Board Member and Interim Chief Marketing Officer. “This colorful car is sure to stand out on the racetrack, not only raising awareness for type 1 diabetes, but also showcasing the important partnership between JDRF and Ford.”
McCormick attended the unveiling of the racecar and accepted the check on behalf of JDRF.
“We are happy to announce another successful fundraising effort by JDRF and Ford Customer Service Division,” said Brett Wheatley, Director, Marketing, FCSD. “We’re having fun with this year’s design. We’re proud to say we once again received many strong entries from young artists from chapters across the country and we’re looking forward to bringing Katie and her family out to the track this weekend.”
Len and Eddie Wood, team owners of the No. 21 entry, are excited for the opportunity to revisit the past through the 1960s-esque tie-dye paint scheme.
“It’s a really cool thing, kind of a throwback to when I was younger,” Eddie Wood said. “I remember the brightness of the colors and that particular time in history. I was just in my late teens, early 20s (when tie-dye took off the first time) and this car takes me back to a good time.”
Len Wood looks forward to the first time Trevor, at 21 one of the youngest drivers on the NASCAR Sprint Cup tour, steps out of the No. 21 hauler for the first time in a rainbow explosion of colors.
“It should be a surprise for him,” Len Wood said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a driver in a tie-dye suit. The first time he walks out of that hauler and everybody sees him, it’ll be interesting, but it’s all for a good cause.
“I hope the crew shirts look good. Maybe I should’ve worked on this and not got my hair cut for the last few months.”
Just as many sports have a regular season and a playoff season, the JDRF Race Car Design Contest has a voting phase and a judging phase. Representatives from FCSD, JDRF and Len and Eddie Wood choose a winner among the top five fundraising entries.
“The paint schemes were very good this year,” Len Wood said. “It was hard to pick, but we wanted something different. I think with the tie-dye paint scheme; it’s different all right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a race car painted like it.”
Ford Motor Company is JDRF’s only global partner and no company has raised more to fund research for JDRF than Ford. Ford has raised more than $35 million for JDRF since 1998.
“The JDRF Race Car Design Contest is really special for us in that it’s special to Ford Motor Company,” Eddie Wood said. “We have a 61-year-old relationship with Ford. Anything they’re involved in really good for us to be involved in too, because I feel like we’re one big family. JDRF is kind of a family thing too, with it touching so many kids. It’s a really special opportunity and an honor to be involved in it.”
The employee-driven group, the Ford Global Walk Team, was established in 1998, with Edsel B. Ford II as the Corporate Team Chair. Mr. Ford continues to lead the effort in honor of his son, Albert, who has been living with type 1 diabetes for 13 years.
LEN AND EDDIE WOOD PRESS CONFERENCE:
Ford Motor Company has donated more than $35 million to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) since 1998. Ford is, in fact, JDRF’s only global partner. For the last four years, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD – Motorcraft/Quick Lane) has contributed to the cause in a most unique way – by raising money through the JDRF Race Car Design Contest, proceeds from which go to JDRF. The end products? This year, fans from around the country voted on designs submitted by children with type 1 diabetes from across the country, raising an incredible $43,000.27 for JDRF. The top five fundraisers are voted on by FCSD representatives and Len and Eddie Wood of Wood Brothers Racing, the host team. FCSD, the Wood Brothers and driver Trevor Bayne, Ford and JDRF announced the winner of this year’s contest – seven-year-old Katie Hahn of Omaha, Neb. – at a press conference at Ford World Headquarters on Thursday. Hahn’s tie-dye paint scheme is sure to stand out at the Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway this weekend.
EDDIE WOOD: HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO ACTUALLY PICK YOUR CAR? “It was a really difficult decision to pick one because everybody, especially the top five, were really, really good. We just kind of picked one that kind of stood out as being different from all the rest and for sure this one is different. And that’s basically why we picked it. It’s a really cool thing. It’s kind of a throwback to when I was younger. I remember a lot of that stuff when it was around the first time and it kind of brings it all back, but I’m kind of really into the history part of it anyway.”
YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS BEING A THROWBACK TO WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE 60s THAT STANDS OUT IN YOUR MEMORY?
“I just remember the tie-dye colors. The brightness of the colors. That particular time in history was about a lot of change and a lot of things were going on at the time. I was in my late teens, early 20s when all that was going on.”
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WORKING WITH THE FAMILY OF THE WINNER?
“That’s really special too because the Hahn family has never been to a race. And until you’ve ever been to a NASCAR race, it’s really hard to describe it. It’s kind of like if you’ve never been to a NFL game, it’s really different once you get there than what you actually see on T.V. And NASCAR racing is an even bigger difference from the T.V. broadcast because of all the noise, the color and the speed. It’s hard to get a sensation of it from T.V., but when you’re there you really get the heart pounding, excitement of it all. And I think they’re really going to enjoy it.”
FORD IS THE ONLY CORPORATE SPONSOR FOR JDRF. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO DOVETAIL THIS ALLIANCE WITH THE WORK YOU DO WITH YOUR CAR AND YOUR TEAM?
“It’s really special to us and it’s special to Ford Motor Company because we have a 61-year relationship with Ford and anything that they’re involved in, it’s really good for us to be involved in too because we feel like we’re all one big family. So JDRF is kind of a family thing anyway. It touches so many young kids and I think it’s really special. It’s an honor to be involved with it.”
LEN WOOD: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PAINT SCHEME AND HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO CHOOSE A WINNER?
“The paint schemes were very good this year. It was hard to pick. We wanted something different. I think with the tie-dye paint scheme it’s different all right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a race car painted like this. We were pleased it was a young girl this time that won. The top five were all good. Any of them would’ve made a good car, but this one stood out more than any of them.”
ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE TIE-DYE UNIFORMS ON THE TEAM?
“I don’t know how that’s going to turn out! I hope they look good. Maybe I should’ve worked on this and not got a haircut for a couple months so I could have the long hair like we did back in the 60’s and 70’s. It should be interesting. I think Trevor’s uniform is what I’m waiting on really because he won’t know what to expect. It should be a surprise for him, but he’s good with pretty much anything we throw at him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a driver in a tie-dye firesuit. The first time he walks out of that hauler and everybody sees him, it should be interesting. But it’s all for a good cause.”
About the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
JDRF is the worldwide leader for research to cure type 1 diabetes. It sets the global agenda for diabetes research, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of diabetes science worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults, and can be fatal. Until a cure is found, people with type 1 diabetes have to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin injections multiple times or use a pump – each day, every day of their lives. And even with that intensive care, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its potential 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 $1.5 billion to diabetes research, including $107 million last year. More than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.org
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Article Tags: Brookyln (MI), Ford Fusion, Ford Motor Company, Ford Racing, FordParts.com, Katie Hahn, Michigan International Speedway, MIS, NASCAR, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion, NSCS, Pure Michigan 400, The Irish Hills, Trevor Bayne, Wood Bros. Racing, Wood Brothers Racing
