The Dale Jr. Indomitable Spirit Award, named
after NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., honors an individual or corporation
whose work has made a significant impact on the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a
nonprofit organization working tirelessly to create life-changing wishes and
experiences for critically ill children.
On February 21, at this year’s Wish Ball, the largest event hosted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Central and Western North Carolina chapter, over 600 guests came from all over the region to celebrate the power of wishes. At this signature blue-tie gala, guests participate in live and silent auctions, have the opportunity to participate in raffles, and get to be part of a number of unique surprises for and from local wish families.
Serving 51 counties in North Carolina, Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina has granted over 5,110 wishes since its inception in 1985 and granted over 350 in 2019. They have never turned down an eligible wish and do far more than just send kids to Walt Disney World. The Foundation gives children with critical illnesses including cancer, heart disease, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, and a number of serious chronic conditions all sorts of opportunities. These can include the chance to meet celebrities, computers, swimming pools, shopping sprees, trips to Hawaii, and much more. Funded entirely by donations – that is to say, without government funding or any grants – that stay within the local area and staffed by volunteers, Make-A-Wish operates at no cost to families to give kids the experiences of a lifetime.
For example, in 2019, the chapter sent two
Make-A-Wish Kids to London for the NFL International Series game between the
Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gave a recipient of a heart transplant
the opportunity to meet the Dolan Twins, and gave a nine-year-old the
opportunity to shop for toys for herself and other children at Levine
Children’s Hospital.
Major sponsor Symmetry Financial Group, the fastest-growing insurance marketing organization in the country, is a major sponsor of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and was thrilled to be honored at the event.
On their work with Make-A-Wish, Whitney Zeh, Symmetry’s Director of Community Relations and Well-Being, said:
“We would not be able to give back on the level that we do if it wasn’t for Symmetry Financial Group founders Casey and Sarah Watkins, Brandon and Meredith Ellison, and Brian and Geri Pope, who set the stage early on and prioritized the core value of giving back and doing good in the world. Over the past three years, we have worked to not only raise money but also spread the mission of Make-A-Wish and bring awareness to the cause. Symmetry’s founders have always prioritized the core value of giving back and doing good in the world. We are grateful for our partnership and we look forward to many more years supporting Make-A-Wish.”
Michelle Scannella, Marketing and
Communications Manager at Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina, said,
“We are so grateful for the support of Symmetry Financial Group, and
everything they have done to make wishes possible. At this year’s Wish Ball, we
presented them with the 2020 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Indomitable Spirit Award, which
was created to honor one partner that embodies Make-A-Wish’s desire to Share
the Power of a Wish, through persistence, compassion, integrity and dedication,
making a lasting impression on the community. It is reserved for the most
transformational partners, and Symmetry exemplifies that in every sense of the
word.”
Click here to learn more about Symmetry Financial Group and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Read the full press release here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/symmetry-financial-group-receives-dale-jr-indomitable-spirit-award-presented-by-make-a-wish-central-and-western-north-carolina-301015498.html