The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer is one of two Proud Charities of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), which sanctions the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car series in North America, as well as the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, and five other development and single-make series.
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer is in its third year as a “Proud Charity” of IMSA, a dynamic partnership that has dramatically raised awareness both for the Foundation and its admirable mission: to erase the effects of pediatric cancer on young patients and their families.
As a Proud Charity of IMSA, the Foundation will work within all of IMSA’s race series to create awareness, raise funds, and deliver its services in race cities across the United States.
Since its inception, the Austin Hatcher Foundation has been rooted in the motorsports community. At the forefront of the services the foundation offers is its Diversionary Therapy program in which race car drivers visit children’s hospitals in race cities to build and race the Foundation’s pinewood derby cars with sick children and their siblings. The Foundation also conducts its Fueling Potential: Racing to Win Healthy Lifestyle education program in elementary schools in race cities and elsewhere.
“Our relationships with IMSA and others in the automotive marketplace have enabled us to deliver services to over 70,000 people in 28 states and 38 hospitals over the past ten years.” said Amy Jo Osborn, President of the Austin Hatcher Foundation, “The racing community has also helped raise millions of dollars to support the delivery of those programs.
“The benefits of the programs the Austin Hatcher Foundation provides for children with cancer and their families is immeasurable so all of us at IMSA are honored to continue our relationship,” said David Pettit, IMSA Vice President, Marketing. “That said, the results of the visits our race car drivers, and many others involved in the sport, make to children’s hospitals across the country through the foundation can be measured in the smiles on the faces of everyone involved.”