CHARLOTTE, N.C. (February 7, 2018) AAA Carolinas was awarded the Dale Jr. Indomitable Spirit award at the Make-A-Wish ball Friday, Jan 19. The event, which brings together over 600 people from a variety of organizations in the city, was held at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte.
The Make-A-Wish Ball, which is sponsored by the Dale Jr. Foundation, has raised more than two million dollars over the years in an effort to make children’s wishes come true. Each year, the Foundation chooses an outstanding partner that embodies the heart of the organization’s desire to share the power of a wish, through persistence, compassion, integrity and dedication.
The 2018 Dale Jr. Indomitable Spirit Award was granted to AAA Carolinas for its extensive involvement in the communities, including the children of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. AAA Carolinas has raised a total of $234,000 for Make-A-Wish.
“It’s an honor to receive such a special award from a truly special organization,” said AAA Carolinas Senior Vice President Dusty Holcomb. “What this award represents really embodies the core values of AAA. Like Make-A-Wish, we strive to serve our communities through excellence and hope to inspire others along the way in everything we do.”
Since its involvement with Make-A-Wish, AAA Carolinas added a Make-A-Wish Foundation truck to its “fleet” of charity tow trucks. In 2017, the Make-A-Wish truck serviced 2,333 calls. Since its creation in 2013, it has serviced 12,822 calls.
In addition to the tow trucks, AAA Carolinas has gotten its travel department involved as well, donating trips to auction off, luggage to families for their wish trips, and is now the travel partner for international wishes providing discounts to the organization.
Employees of AAA Carolinas are able to donate each week to the Casual for a Cause fund in order to dress casually on Fridays. This money is divided among the charities supported by AAA Carolinas, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
AAA Carolinas is a gold partner of the organization and attends the annual Make-A-Wish Ball, Make-A-Wish Fall Trailblaze Challenge and Make-A-Wish Pitchin’ for Wishes Cornhole Tournament.
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich their lives with hope, strength and joy. Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina covers the 51 westernmost counties of North Carolina, and will grant 273 wishes to children ages 2-1/2 to 18 in its territory this year. Depending on the type of wish, the average cost runs from $6,000 to $10,000.
AAA Carolinas, an affiliate of the American Automobile Association, is a not-for-profit organization that serves more than 2.1 million members and the public with travel, automobile and insurance services while being an advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.
