GARDENA, Calif. - (Business Wire) The Carroll Shelby Children
’s Foundation has announced that Jake Rosenberg Lane and Thomas Belhacene are the Grand Prize winners of the 6
th Kid
’s Automotive Art Contest. Automotive icon Carroll Shelby and his wife Cleo were joined by Road & Track Editor-in-Chief Thos L. Bryant, Automotive Fine Arts Society members and the auto industry
’s top designers at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in April to pick the winners. The Carroll Shelby Children
’s Foundation matched the $26,000 total raised during the contest, resulting in a $52,000 donation to the Children
’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA).
“Thanks to our sponsors, partners and some incredible entries, the Kid’s Art Contest was an amazing success,” said Carroll Shelby, founder of the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. “We had a great response from youngsters across the country who proved that the future of automotive design is in good hands. Most importantly, we raised a nice chunk of money for COTA, which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of children worldwide.”
Sponsored by Wells Fargo and numerous automotive companies, the Kid’s Automotive Art Contest challenged children to draw or paint the car they would like to drive when they grow up. Rosenberg Lane of Pittsburgh won the Kindergarten-8th Grade division with his design, “The Verge,” while Belhacene was awarded the top prize in the 9th-12th Grade category for his futuristic rendering, “Volkswagen Hope.” The two Grand Prize winners each received a $5,000 Series EE U.S. Savings Bond.
“I was blown away by the high level of design acumen and visualization exuded by these young artists,” explained Ken Eberts, president of the Automotive Fine Arts Society. “It took some intense review and debate between the judges to finally pick the winners. It’s reassuring to witness that the passion for automobiles that I had as a kid is alive among today’s youth.”
The judges also selected five first prize winners in smaller categories. Those winners were Starr M. Bradley (K-2), Jessie Zhao (3-4), Jason Hwang (5-6), Caden Jones (7-8) and Naruaki Imaoka (9-12). Each first place winner received a $2,000 Series EE U.S. Savings Bond.
Participating automotive sponsors included Audi, Bentley, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Pontiac, SAAB, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
“We’ve already reached out to our sponsors and partners to start planning next year’s contest,” added Jenni Shreeves, director of the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. “This competition is very important to Mr. Shelby and he was a major advocate of its return. We look to build on the momentum created this year and raise even more money in 2009.”
For more information on next year’s contest, visit www.cscf.org or email Shreeves at jenni@cscf.org.
About The Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation
The Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation was created by legendary racer and automotive manufacturer Carroll Shelby. After undergoing a successful heart transplant in 1990, he established the Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. Thanks to the support of the Shelby Companies, Ford Motor Company and loyal fans worldwide, the Foundation is helping children battle life-threatening illnesses and promoting the importance of organ and tissue donation. More information is available at www.cscf.org.
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Luke DeRouen, 214-520-3430 x 301
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