Stewart Among Finalists for 2009 Home Depot NMPA Humanitarian Award

ATLANTA – Tony Stewart has been named as one of the finalists for the 2009 Home Depot NMPA Humanitarian Award. The other finalists are fellow driver Greg Biffle and Tim Booth of Michigan International Speedway.

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Tony was nominated for his annual event Prelude to the Dream which supports injured and fallen service members and their families. Stewart launched the annual event in 2005 and it has grown in stature and notoriety every year. The event includes participation from the world’s top drivers, an exclusive HBO Pay-Per-View television package and a sold-out race event. The 2009 Prelude brought 25 world-class drivers to a short-track shootout in an effort to raise money. Proceeds from the event were used to help organizations such as Wounded Warriors, Operation Homefront, Intrepid Fund and Fisher House.

Greg Biffle was nominated for his work in raising awareness to the importance of animal welfare. Establishing the Greg Biffle Foundation in 2005, Biffle’s work has lead to more than 200 animal welfare agencies in the United States receiving financial assistance which has allowed the receiving agencies to better care for sheltered animals. Biffle is active in the fund raising, support and publicity for the foundation and serves as the national spokesperson for the North Shore Animal League’s Spay USA which is a nationwide network and referral service for affordable spay/neuter services.

Tim Booth developed the project Spirit of America Blood and Marrow Drive after the September 11 attacks on the United States. His goal with the project was to pay tribute to the victims and survivors of the terrorist attacks and to salute the men and women in uniform while increasing the nation’s blood supply. The inaugural event took place September 11, 2002 and has become an annual event. The event has grown to include co-sponsorship from the NASCAR Foundation, National Marrow Donor Program and Hendrick Marrow Foundation and has resulted in 30 additional tracks around the country hosting their own blood and marrow drives.

The finalists for the 2009 Humanitarian Award were selected by the Humanitarian Award Selection Committee comprised of representatives of the NMPA and The Home Depot. All of the nominees were assessed based on their community commitment and dedication, impact on the community and charitable giving of their time and talents. The three nominees with the highest scores were named finalists for the award.

The winner of the 2009 Humanitarian Award will be announced at the annual NASCAR NMPA Myers Brother Awards program in Las Vegas on December 3. The winner will receive a specially-designed crystal trophy and a $100,000 cash donation to the recipient’s designated charity. Additionally, the two remaining finalists will each receive $25,000 cash donations to their respective charitable organizations.

The NMPA Home Depot Humanitarian Award was established in 2007. The inaugural Humanitarian Award winner was Don Miller, a former Penske Racing executive. Miller started the Stock-for-Tots program as a holiday event to collect toys and raise funds for Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN). Richard Childress, president and CEO of Childress Racing, won the 2008 edition of the Humanitarian Award. Childress established the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in 2008. Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for children in the United States, and the Childress Institute focuses on research, education, treatment, prevention and raising awareness of childhood injuries.