Bubba Wallace, Xfinity team owner Matt Kaulig and Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell have been selected finalists for the 2020 Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award.
The award recognizes philanthropic efforts of individuals within the NASCAR industry.
“This year, more than ever, it’s important to shine a spotlight on how these remarkable individuals within the sport of NASCAR are using their platforms to make a positive impact on so many lives around them,” said Matt Lederer, Vice President of Brand Partnerships and Activation at Comcast, in a statement. “Our 2020 finalists embody the spirit of one of Comcast’s core values, community impact, by working tirelessly to make a long term, lasting change in the community.”
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Since 2015, when Comcast’s Xfinity brand became the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and now Premier Partner of the NASCAR Cup Series, Comcast has donated more than a half million dollars to 18 different NASCAR-affiliated organizations to honor their efforts and to help further the impact of their worthy causes. Fans can visit ComcastCommunityChampion.com to learn more about past and present finalists and their acts of selflessness.
The 2020 Comcast Community Champion of the Year will be selected by a panel comprised of Comcast and NASCAR executives, as well as Dover International Speedway President, Mike Tatoian, who received the award in 2019 for his work with USO Delaware.
Comcast will award $60,000 to the champion’s affiliated charity, and $30,000 to each of the two remaining finalists’ selected charities. The 2020 Comcast Community Champion will be announced in conjunction with NASCAR Championship Weekend next month in Phoenix.
Here is a look at the finalists
Bubba Wallace – The Live To Be Different Foundation, led by Bubba Wallace, was formed to lift up individuals seeking a means to fulfill their potential, no matter their race, gender, disabilities or socio-economic situation. Through a message of compassion, love and understanding, the Richard Petty Motorsports driver believes all barriers can be removed so that all dreams can be realized. Live To Be Different’s mission is to empower the next generation to strive and achieve anything they put their mind to, just as Wallace has done in his journey as an African-American race car driver and agent of change in his sport. In doing so, Live To Be Different supports disadvantaged individuals and those in need of a second chance with educational, social or other types of assistance needed to help make their dreams reality.
Clay Campbell – As President of Martinsville Speedway since 1988, Clay Campbell leads the historic Virginia track that was founded by his grandfather H. Clay Earles. Born and raised in Martinsville, Campbell works to make Henry County a better place through educational opportunities, financial donations, and his time. With the Campbell Family Foundation, he focuses on many areas, especially when it comes to local youth. This includes providing free physical, dental and eye exams to those in need as well as equipment and scholarships at local high schools and colleges. He was also instrumental in making the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school and supports the Grace Network through a Christmas Toy Drive that has impacted over 10,000 area children with gifts to unwrap on Christmas morning. He is also involved with the Grace Network and Henry County’s Food Bank, particularly in the summer months when the organization is at their most critical need. The track also hosts an annual free Independence Day Celebration with Campbell covering the cost for carnival rides for all children. In addition, Campbell serves as President of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, President of the Martinsville YMCA Board of Directors, President of the Chamber Partnership for Economic Growth, Trustee at Ferrum College and is on the Board of Directors at the Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and the Blue Ridge Airport Authority Board.
Matt Kaulig – Matt Kaulig’s philosophy on giving time, talent and treasure to Akron Children’s Hospital and the greater Cleveland community is truly what makes him embody the characteristics of a philanthropist. At Akron Children’s, he not only supports caring for and healing children, but is interested in finding solutions for childhood ailments, providing comfort and safety for children and families in need, as well as nurturing the hopes, dreams and potential of children. Matt, and his wife, Lisa, are focused on the healing power of giving, as they know how scary it is for parents to be told their newborn baby has a problem that needs special intensive care treatment to survive. In 2018, they founded Kaulig Charitable Giving Programs to focus on the well-being of children and families through direct giving and community involvement. This includes connecting with Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland and Breakthrough schools to address the digital divide in Cleveland and provide necessary equipment such as Internet access, computers and tablets to low-income families as they navigate working from home and virtual school learning. Throughout the last decade, Kaulig has become an advocate and a motivator to children and families in need. It is his belief that “The best investment we can make is in a child.”