Archive for December, 2009
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES RAISES MORE THAN $172,000 FOR AUSTIN HATCHER FOUNDATION DURING 2009 SEASON
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
The Austin Hatcher Foundation and the American LeMans Series could not have been happier with the results of the inaugural year of their partnership as the official charity of the Series. In the first year of its five-year partnership the American Le Mans Series raised more than $172,000 in goods, services and monetary donations for the Foundation Series’ drivers and corporate partners donated their time throughout the entire 2009 season, visiting local children’s hospitals at many race sites throughout the country and participating in the Foundation’s diversionary therapy events at the track in Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Utah and California.. Such events touched the lives of more than 400 children and families.
The American Le Mans Series’ partnership with the Foundation also played a key role in establishing and opening the Foundation’s first Hatch’s house of hope, a family focused cancer care center located in Chattanooga, TN. Throughout the year, the relationships cultured through the Series and its partners made a lasting impact with long reaching effects on the Foundation’s goal of eradicating the effects of pediatric cancer.
“The Austin Hatcher Foundation would like to thank the American Le Mans Series, its drivers and partners for their dedicated and unwavering support and for helping to make a difference in the lives of many families suffering from the effects of pediatric cancer, “said Dr. Jim Osborn, Executive Director of the Foundation and co-founder along with his wife, Amy Jo.”
Rare Michelin Tire, Hand Carved for Austin Hatcher Foundation, and American Lemans GT1 Series Championship Winning Corvette Racing BBS Wheel on Display at National Corvette Museum
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009December 21, 2009: The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s one-of-a-kind, hand-carved Michelin tire is now on display, along with the rear wheel from the 2007 American Le Mans Series GT1 Championship Corvette, at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. This piece of motorsports history was part of the General Motors display at the 2009 SEMA show and will remain at the museum until mid-January, and will be auctioned later in the year to raise monies for children and families affected by pediatric cancer.
During the 2009 American Le Mans Series Petite Le Mans, drivers from Corvette Racing’s Championship team, Austin Hatcher Foundation guests, and celebrities had the rare opportunity to help carve this unique tread onto
the Michelin tire, mounted on a BBS wheel at the American Le Mans Series/Michelin/Corvette Racing “Tire Groove” Event. The tread, which showcases the logos of Michelin, Corvette Racing, the American Le Mans
Series, the Austin Hatcher Foundation and the Foundation’s Hatch’s house of hope, made its transformation over the course of the weekend, with many people getting a chance to carve this piece of history. The Corvette Racing rear wheel was provided by Pratt Miller/Corvette Racing and was on the #4 GT1 Corvette during every one of the eleven races the car won during the 2007 American Le Mans Series.
Participating drivers from the Championship Corvette Team, which boasts six 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins, as well as 8 ALMS GT1 Manufacturers Championships, 8 ALMS GT1 Team Championships and 7 ALMS GT1 Drivers Championships, included Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Johnny O’Connell from the Compuware Corvette C6.R No. 3 and Olivier Beretta, Marcel Fassler and Oliver Gavin from the Compuware Corvette C6.R No. 4 car. Also taking the time out to make his mark on the tire was Corvette Racing Program Manager and well known Corvette icon, Doug Fehan.
USA Dance Annual Holiday Charity Ball to benefit Austin Hatcher Foundation
Friday, December 4th, 2009All 5-year-old Nola Beth Greene wants for Christmas is to dance with her father, who is serving in Iraq and recently came home to visit for the holidays.
“I always dance with her,” said her father, Spc. Paul Greene with the Tennessee Army National Guard. “We crank up the music to Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
Nola has taken ballet, jazz and tap lessons since she was 2, and now she dances with her school’s praise team at Silverdale Baptist Academy, said her mother, Sandy Greene, who teaches first grade at the school.
But one of Nola’s favorite pastimes is dancing with her father in the living room or in the car, Mrs. Greene said.
Before Spc. Greene left for Iraq, he promised he would take his daughter dancing when he came home the two weeks before Christmas. However, he was unable to find any place appropriate in town to go.
As a surprise for her daughter and husband, Mrs. Greene found tickets to the USA Dance 10th annual Holiday Charity Ball and gave them to her husband when he arrived home on Nov. 28.
“This is something that is very rare for us,” said Nancy Henderson, vice president of the Chattanooga Choo Choo Chapter of USA Dance, talking about having a child want to attend the ball.
The charity ball is the 10th dance put on by the Chattanooga Choo Choo Chapter that will benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation, which this year supports children with pediatric cancer and their families, Ms. Henderson said.
“We felt like the Hatcher Foundation was doing some great work, and we wanted to help them out,” she said.
It seems perfect that the first time the charity ball supports a children’s organization is also the first time a child is attending the dance, she said.
The ball is open to the public, and about 150 mostly social dancers usually attend, she said.
The dance will last from 8 to 11 p.m., and some of the ballroom instructors in the area will perform for the rest of the dancers during the evening, Ms. Henderson said.
Neither Nola nor he ever have ballroom danced, but that isn’t going to stop them from trying to learn this week, Spc. Greene said.
“We’ve been practicing for two nights now,” he said.
As Spc. Greene talked about twirling his daughter around, she giggled. Nola Beth was too shy to talk, but smiled and nodded when asked if her father was a good dancer.
IF YOU GO
* What: USA Dance Annual Holiday Charity Ball
* Where: Allemande Hall, 7400 Standifer Gap Road
* When: From 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11
* Cost: General admission tickets: $30, limited table seating $35
* Attire: Formal/cocktail
* Contact: 423-499-5738
READ ON Times Free Press Website
CHOP HOUSE SUPPORTS LOCAL HATCH’S HOUSE OF HOPE
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
December 1, 2009: The Chattanooga location of The Chop House is donating meals to families that are guests of Hatch’s House of Hope, a pediatric cancer, family-oriented facility recently opened in Chattanooga by the Austin Hatcher Foundation. In the spirit of Hatch’s goal of keeping the family unit whole while dealing with the effects of pediatric cancer, The Chop House will be providing 4 families each month with a “date night” for the parents. Both Hatch’s and The Chop House hope that by allowing parents to have a night out together while enjoying a good meal, that they will get some much needed time to themselves. “Any chance that these parents can have to steal a few normal moments away together is a chance for these parents to reconnect with each other and the reality they used to know,” said Amy Jo Osborn, President of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. “We are fortunate to have the support of The Chop House.”
