The National Auto Body Council (NABC), through the Collision Industry Foundation, made a $2,200 contribution to the Hendrick Marrow Program during a recent industry event in Charlotte, N.C. 

The mission of the Hendrick Marrow Program of The Marrow Foundation is to find private sources of support for the work of the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP). That mission is to raise funds for donor recruitment for the NMDP Registry, and to provide financial assistance for patients receiving blood stem cell transplants.

"The presentation was made at the headquarters of Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte," said Barry Dorn, project manager for the council's fundraising effort. "Rick Hendrick, owner of one of the most successful NASCAR racing teams, himself suffered from leukemia, and was successfully treated with a bone marrow transplant.

"The funds were raised by selling "Life is a Team Sport" wristbands," Dorn continued. "We sold them during the Collision Industry Conference meeting, which also included meetings of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, NABC, and the Collision Industry Foundation."

"NABC tries to contribute to charities in the communities where it holds its meetings," noted Chuck Sulkala, NABC executive director. "We felt this charity merited serious consideration. In part, that's because DuPont Performance Coatings is both a Corporate Member of NABC and the main sponsor of one of the Hendrick cars, the DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Jeff Gordon.

"I would certainly encourage people in our industry to find out more about bone marrow transplant, and to consider becoming a potential donor," Sulkala concluded. "It's yet another way to become involved in our communities."

For more information, contact the NABC office toll-free at 888-66-PRIDE; e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; or visit www.autobodycouncil.org.