Austin Hatcher Foundation Travels to Florida for Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Hospital Visits
· Foundation silent auction opens Thursday – Fans can bid from anywhere
· Diversionary Therapy visit Tuesday to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital with Selin Rollan of Hixon Motor Sports
· Live paintings from renowned motion sports artist Bill Patterson to benefit families facing pediatric cancer
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (March 13, 2023) – It’s a full week of sports car racing, fundraising and more for the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer this week, as the nonprofit heads back to the famous Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for the second round of the 2023 WeatherTech Championship Series. The Foundation will be present at Sebring International Speedway for multiple live auctions and will host a continuous online silent auction, as well as taking racecar driver Selin Rollan with them to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital earlier in the week to visit children with pediatric cancer.
The weekend endurance racing event features top drivers competing in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The signature race, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, culminates on Saturday from 10am-10pm with 12 straight hours of racing around Sebring International Raceway.
The 12-hour event is set to begin at 10:05 a.m. ET on March 18, 2023 and is available to stream on Peacock Premium, or on USA at 4:30 p.m.
The Austin Hatcher Foundation is an official “Proud Charity of IMSA,” a status that enables a season-long series of opportunities for the Foundation to raise both funds and awareness at well-attended motorsport events held at iconic racing facilities. Representatives of the Foundation travel to IMSA races and partner with racing teams to spread the mission of the Foundation: erasing the effects of pediatric cancer for the entire family.
“The Foundation is proud to attend IMSA races, but we are especially excited for Sebring as it is one of the most iconic tracks of all time,” said Foundation co-founder and CEO Amy Jo Osborn. “We look forward every year to come down to the warm weather, the smell of orange groves, the greatest race fans, and some of the best racing anyone has ever watched. We are so thankful for IMSA, Bill Patterson, Hixon Motor Sports and all of our racing partners who are spreading the news about the Foundation’s work and services.”
On Tuesday, March 14, the Foundation will visit Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital for a Diversionary Therapy visit. These visits by Foundation staff members and racecar drivers offer interactive, specialized activities for young patients and their family members. This week’s visit is one of many the Foundation has made to children’s medical facilities across the country. Joining the Foundation staff will be Cuban-American driver Selin Rollan of Hixon Motor Sports (HMS). The HMS team is a consistent supporter and 2023 partner of the Foundation. Rollan drives the #87 Austin Hatcher Foundation racecar, which has a new 2023 design featuring the AHF logo.
Another one of the Foundation’s long-time supporters is renowned Motionsports Artist Bill Patterson, who consistently donates his time and work to help the Foundation raise funds through his world-famous racecar paintings. This race is no different, as Patterson will paint four live-paintings for the Foundation to auction.
On Friday, March 17, Patterson will start a live painting in the Porscheplatz at 8:30 a.m. The one-of-a-kind painting will sell during a live auction beginning at 10:40 a.m. Patterson will begin another live piece at 12 p.m. in the Corvette Corral to be auctioned at 2:30 p.m. Patterson’s last Friday painting begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Sebring Celebrity Cruises Luxury Lounge and will be auctioned off at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, Patterson has one more live painting in the Cadillac Corral at 5 p.m., to be auctioned off at 6:30 p.m.
Funds from Patterson’s paintings go directly to the Austin Hatcher Foundation providing cost-free services to families facing childhood cancer. Print copies of the live paintings will be sold as well, and past work can be viewed and purchased at www.theartofracingcollection.com/. All funds benefit families at the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.
The Foundation will have a silent auction in the IMSA Merchandising Tent on Vendor Row opening at 8 a.m. on Thursday and closing at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Fans can bid online from anywhere for a chance to win one-of-a-kind race memorabilia, motorsports art, raced-user gear, car parts and more. Winners of items can pick them at the tent Saturday evening.
Any fans unable to attend Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring are still encouraged to join the fun and support the Foundation by tuning into the event on Peacock or IMSA TV and bidding online anywhere to win a silent auction item. Any items won by buyers who are not at the event will be shipped at the buyer’s expense. To view auction items and bid, visit https://one.bidpal.net/sebring2023.
All money raised throughout the weekend goes directly to supporting the Austin Hatcher Foundation in their mission to erase the side effects of pediatric cancer beginning at the time of a child’s diagnosis and continuing through survivorship. Families of the foundation are provided with services such as Mental and Behavioral Health Therapy, Occupational Therapy, NeuroPsych Testing, Family Programs, and more at absolutely no cost to them. To learn more, visit www.hatcherfoundation.org.
To learn more about Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, visit https://www.imsa.com/events/2023-mobil-1-twelve-hours-of-sebring/.
