FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Hot Rod Magazine’s signature touring event announces a stop at Chattanooga State Community College

The Wednesday, June 9th Coker Tire Cruise Night comes as part of the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour’s® 7‐day, 7‐city tour of over 4,500 hot rods &performance vehicles through the Midwest.

WHAT: The Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour™ presented by GM Performance Division is an event widely considered to be the finest high end automotive event in the world. This 7‐day, 7‐city Tour kicks off in Newton, IA on Saturday, June 5th and winds its way around the Midwest with over 4,500 hot rods & performance vehicles on a 1,500+ mile journey to its finale destination in Mobile, Alabama on

Friday, June 11th.

Coker Tire will host Day 5 of the Power Tour at Chattanooga State Community College Wednesday, June 9, 2010 from Noon – 7:00 pm. Coker Tire will have feature cars from the Coker Tire Museum on display for the press conference

showing off the kind of performance vehicles and show car quality the PowerTour will bring to Chattanooga.

WHO:

Bob Doak, President & CEO ‐ Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau

Jerry Pitt, Publisher, Hot Rod Magazine

Corky Coker, President ‐ Coker Tire

Jim Osborn, Co‐Founder, Austin Hatcher Foundation

Dr. James L. Catanzaro, President, Chattanooga State Community College

WHEN: Tuesday, March 2nd – 10:00 am

WHERE: Chattanooga State Community College 4501 Amnicola Hwy Chattanooga, TN 37406 (423) 697-4404

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jessica Hubley, Media Relations

Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour®

(317) 716‐2678 Cell / (317) 225‐4667 Direct

jhubley@familyevents.com

Contact: Jenny Stickley  jenny@hatcherfoundation.org

Hatch’s house of hope Staff to Receives PSST Training; Only 4th Program in US to Complete Training

February 17, 2010:  Leadership from two nationally recognized pediatric oncology programs visited the Austin Hatcher Foundation and Hatch’s House of Hope and introduced their staff to Problem-Solving Skills Training (PSST).  Only the fourth facility in the country to receive such training, Hatch’s hopes to make a significant difference in the emotional health of parents of children diagnosed with pediatric cancer.

Leading the training were Olle Jane Z. Sahler, M.D. and Robert B. Noll, Ph.D.  Dr. Sahler is Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Medical Humanities, and Oncology at the Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  Dr. Sahler was the Principal Investigator on National Institutes of Health-funded research that developed Bright IDEAS, a special application of PSST and demonstrated its effectiveness for mothers of children recently diagnosed with cancer.  Dr. Noll, who is  Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Psychology and Medical Director for Behavioral Health at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC co-led the training. Dr. No ll is also the Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.  Dr. Noll worked with Dr. Sahler on the initial grants developing and implementing Bright IDEAS.  He is also the Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Committee of the Children’s Oncology Group, the largest consortium of children’s oncology centers in the US.

Parents of pediatric cancer patients, in particular mothers, can significantly reduce the emotional toll caused by diagnosis and treatment when they receive PSST shortly after their child’s diagnosis.  This training, that applies cognitive-behavioral based problem-solving principles, can produce significant reductions in anxiety and depression, two symptoms often present in these parents who are under tremendous emotional distress.  After 15 years of funded work developing PSST, Drs. Sahler and Noll are optimistic that mothers who receive this training within 4 to12 weeks of their child’s cancer diagnosis will benefit significantly.

“We are excited to receive the PSST Training under the direction of these two senior investigators, becoming only the fourth facility in the country to do so.  The skills our staff will learn are going to make a significant difference in reducing the stress and anxiety experienced by mothers of pediatric cancer patients  and help the entire family cope, said Dr. Jim Osborn, Co-Founder of the Austin Hatcher Foundation.  “Our mission is to make these families lives easier, and these skills that we will be able to teach the parents will go a long way in making a difference in their lives.”

 The Austin Hatcher Foundation for a carefree childhood was formed in 2006 after Amy Jo and Jim Osborn lost their infant son Hatch to a rare form of pediatric cancer.  The foundation’s mission is to support research towards the diagnosis, treatment and development of a cure for pediatric cancer, and to provide support and hope to children and families undergoing treatment as well as those who have lost children due to cancer.  The foundation has developed a landmark group of programs and services essential to help cancer stricken children and their families function within their community.  All services provided by the Foundation are free of charge, funded solely by the generous donations of its supporters.

Hatch’s house of hope is a unique concept designed to keep the family unit whole when dealing with pediatric cancer.  Specifically, these services include IIP neurocognitive testing, educational programming to help effected children overcome their cognitive and learning deficits, emotional counseling for the cancer affected child, their siblings and parents, and marital and financial counseling to ensure a safe environment to maximize the family growth as a whole.  All services at Hatch’s are free to its guests, funded entirely by donations.  Erlanger Medical Mall in Chattanooga, TN is the site of the first Hatch’s house of hope, which opened September 18, 2009.  For more information, visit www.hatcherfoundation.org.

Self-confessed ‘petrol head’ Jack Bromall has completed a 60-day motorcycle ride to Alaska from his home in Philadelphia. His aims were to raise funds and awareness for a charity close to his heart. Not only did he succeed in his ambitions, but he also experienced the awesome surroundings of the Canadian Rockies and the thrill of a long-distance motorcycle ride.

Jack, a retired engineer, has a lust for all-things petrol powered. Ever since he first sampled the joys of motorcycling from the pillion seat of his school friend’s bike over 40 years ago, he’s been hooked. However, it wasn’t until recently that Jack fulfilled a long-held ambition to undertake a marathon motorcycle journey into the wilds of Canada from his home in Philadelphia in eastern America.

“In 2008, me and a friend flew a light aircraft to Alaska and had a great adventure,” he explains. “We had talked about taking our wives there as neither of them had been to Alaska so I started looking into organising a trip. Then there was a gap in my schedule and I began to think that riding to Alaska on a motorcycle would really be a great idea. I spoke to my friend about it and he wasn’t so enthusiastic, so I decided to ride while they flew and I would meet them there.”

Over recent years, Jack has used his spare time working as a freelance engineer in the four-wheeled American Le Mans race series and the Grand Am championship. He has also set several records at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats on two wheels and believes that somebody would be missing a trick if they didn’t have a go for the 1000cc record there on a BMW S 1000 RR. It was through his speed trials activities that Jack first began to support the Austin Hatcher Foundation – a paediatric cancer charity set up by two friends who tragically lost their child to cancer.

“I have been a supporter of the Austin Hatcher Foundation since it was set up in 2006 through my speed trials and other motorsport activities, so I thought the ride to Alaska and back would be a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the foundation,” Jack continues. “Initially, I wanted to raise a few hundred dollars and maybe get my story in a few magazines; however I ended up raising around $4,000 and significantly increasing awareness of the foundation.”

The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to support research towards the diagnoses, treatment and development of a cure for paediatric cancer and to provide support and hope to children and families undergoing treatment, as well as to those who have lost children due to cancer. With this humble statement in mind, Jack wasn’t short of motivation during his ride.

“I think the best moment of the whole experience was when I received a donation from somebody I didn’t even know,” he adds. “Donations had been made by friends, family and contacts, but not by a complete stranger. The first time somebody read my story online, saw what I was doing and felt compelled to donate was pretty special.”

With a route planned and his fundraising goals set out, all Jack had to do was choose which bike to take. “I own a BMW R 1200 GS and an F 650 GS, and both get a lot of use,” he reveals. “I bought the F 650 GS with the Alaska trip in mind as it has all the attributes of a mixed use bike without the size and heft. It had only covered 700 miles before the trip and had done about 12,000 by the time I got back. Smarter people than me tell me that it equates to half way around the world!”

During the 60-day ride, Jack continually updated his www.2wheels2alaska.com blog and kept his supporters up to speed on the numerous forums he had registered to prior to the trip in order to raise awareness. Despite spending hours on his laptop, Jack still found time to appreciate his awesome surroundings. “Once I got above Edmonton – the last major city on my route – and I saw a sign which read ‘Welcome to Yukon’ I knew why I decided to go on the trip. The scenery, the culture and the vastness of it all was overwhelming. My goal was to make it to the Hatcher Pass and that was a highlight, although there was a surprise around every corner.”

However, the trip wasn’t without its difficulties, but Jack was able to retain a sense of perspective. “There was one moment on Summit Pass (the highest road around Alberta) that was particularly challenging,” he adds. “As I made my way to the summit, it kept getting colder and wetter, and soon I came across a stretch of unpaved road which was essentially a mud hole for as far as the eye could see. It was the first really tough part of the ride. There were no other vehicles around and if I’d have had an accident, help was a long way away. But I kept reminding myself of the Austin Hatcher Foundation and the challenges the people it supports face, and the mud hole really didn’t seem too bad.”

After 44 days, 20 American states, two Canadian provinces, four time-zones and 12,019 miles, Jack returned home, safe in the knowledge that he had succeeded in raising funds and awareness for the Austin Hatcher Foundation. But no sooner had he arrived home then Jack was planning his next charity ride.

“I plan to ride in South Africa in the next few years, but it depends on whether I’ll be able to finance the trip,” he concludes. “The Austin Hatcher Foundation is really important to me though, so I keep putting coins in my jar and saving!”

For more information on the Austin Hatcher Foundation, please visit www.hatcherfoundation.org

To read Story on BMW Website:

(1) Go here
http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/index.html
(2) Click on, and start “Blog”  (on toolbar at top)
(3) On the navigation bar at the right click on “Travel and Training”
(4) Check out the story “Charity begins at Home”

Team EBI is an athletic team comprised of individuals who will participate in scheduled events throughout the country to help bring awareness to the foundation and their causes in support of children with cancer.  Team EBI members will compete in amateur events such as triathlons, cycling events, road races, and potentially extreme challenge races or experimental expeditions.  All of the events Team EBI enters will be open to anyone who wants to race- anyone!  The team has coaches to assist those people interested in racing, but aren’t sure how to get ready or train properly.

Senior VP of Everitt Boles Intl. and Team EBI Leader, Chris Maume- “I have been involved in triathlons and cycling for many years.  I have recently come back to the sport of triathlon just recently after several years away from the sport and have been thinking of ways to do more with my time and experience than just race for myself.  Recently, at a triathlon in Atlanta, while anxiously awaiting the start of the race in 54 degree weather I witnessed something that transformed my racing into something more important.  A 6 year old girl was prepared to sing the national anthem to all of the participants.  As she took the microphone she wanted to make a dedication- “I want to dedicate this to my little sister who just passed away from cancer.”  I don’t think I have ever heard such a beautiful version of the national anthem and after that my mind was made up as to what I was going to do with my efforts in racing.

Jim and Amy Jo Osborne have been friends of mine for a few years and they came to mind first when I decided what my focus would be with charitable causes.  Jim and Amy Jo founded the Austin Hatcher Foundation after their own personal experience with a child with cancer.  Knowing both Jim and Amy Jo I am assured their foundation is the best one for us to partner with.  I am excited about our partnership and I look forward to working with people who want to race with us!  The Austin Hatcher Foundation is the official charity of the American Le Mans Series so we are hoping that many of the ALMS participants will become active in racing with us as well to raise money for their charity.”

http://www.hatcherfoundation.org/ Please visit the Austin Hatcher Foundation’s website for information about the foundation and their story.  If you have an interest in participating as an athlete or other contributor please contact Chris Maume using the information below. An official Press Release with additional information and a schedule of events will follow nationally in the next couple of weeks.

January 26, 2010:  On Friday, February 5th, the Austin Hatcher Foundation will host “Cellarbration,” a blind wine tasting competition, to raise funds for Chattanooga’s Hatch’s house of hope.  The event, sponsored by Athens Distibuting, Hennen’s and The Walden Club will take place at The Walden Club.  Teams of one or two persons pay a $25 per person entry fee and bring 3 bottles of the same red wine to enter into the contest.  2 of the team’s bottles are covered and numbered for the blind tasting, while each team’s the 3rd bottle will be reserved and displayed in the “cellar.”
Teams will be competing against each other for the most popular wine, voted on by all entered teams.  The team with the most popular wine of the night will go home with the “cellar” which will consist of $500 worth of wine donated by Athens Distributing as well as the 3rd bottle of every entered team.
This is going to be a fun evening filled with wine, hors devours, Gigi’s cupcake minis and a little friendly competition.  Cellarbration will take place from 7 -10, with voting beginning at 8:45.  For more information, or to reserve your tickets, go to www.hatcherfoundation.org/cellarbration or email jenny@hatcherfoundation.org.

The 2010 HOT ROD Power Tour®, presented by GM Performance Division, has named the Austin Hatcher Foundation for pediatric cancer® the official charity of the 2010 tour. The 7-day, 7-city tour will rev up on June 5th, 2010 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA, and make its way through Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.

New to the Power Tour® for 2010 is the Austin Hatcher Foundation’s daily “Muscle Car” Pinewood Derby Races. Each day of the tour, participants and fans will have the chance to build and race customized pinewood cars in single heat eliminations, competing for daily prizes. Daily winners will compete for the grand prize at the last stop of the Tour. Prizes will be announced closer to the event. The cars, sold in advance online for $25, and skins for $12, will be mailed to purchasers starting February 1, 2010 to allow time for customizing the cars before the competition. Cars purchased after May 1, 2010 will be available for pick up during the tour. Limited quantities of cars will also be available for purchase at all of the stops along the tour.

The Austin Hatcher Foundation will participate in each day of the tour, traveling from city to city. Foundation staff will meet and greet Power Tour® participants and fans each day at their mobile racetrack, where they will inspect pinewood cars prior to racing and hold the races. Information about pediatric cancer and the Austin Hatcher Foundation, as well as its newly opened cancer-care center Hatch’s house of hope, will also be onsite.

Proceeds from the sales of the Pinewood “Muscle Car” will benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for pediatric cancer®. “We hope that this large community of car lovers will enjoy customizing and racing the pine cars during their week long tour,” said Jim Osborn, Co-Founder of The Austin Hatcher Foundation. “We are fortunate that HOT ROD Magazine® is bringing us on board with such an amazing event and giving us the opportunity to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer.”

PURCHASE YOUR CARS AND SKINS BY CLICKING HERE!!!