Getty Alex Bowman will receive an award from the Halifax Humane Society.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman has spent multiple years focusing on helping animals in need. Now he is being named the recipient of the 2022 Halifax Humane Society Humanitarian of the Year award.
Hendrick Motorsports announced the news on September 21. The Cup Series team said that Bowman will receive the award at the 11th annual FurBall Gala in Daytona Beach on December 7. This year’s iteration of the FurBall Gala will mark the event’s return after a two-year pause due to COVID, and there will also be an auction to raise money.
Congratulations to @Alex_Bowman on receiving the @Halifax_Humane Humanitarian of the Year Award!
The award stems from Bowman’s work with primary partner Ally. They have spent the past two seasons donating money to Best Friends Animal Society-affiliated animal shelters around the country. Bowman and Ally each donated $1,000 every week in 2021 while increasing the amount to $10,000 for every win. These donations, as well as proceeds from t-shirt sales, resulted in $130,000 going to humane societies around the country in 2021.
“Helping animals is a big passion of mine and something that I really value,” Bowman said in a press release. “I am honored to receive this award, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Hopefully, we can win a few more races before the season ends and get even more money to the pets who need it.”
Bowman Increased His Support of Humane Societies in 2022
GettyAlex Bowman has donated even more money during the 2022 season.
While Bowman and Ally contributed $130,000 in 2021, they saw an opportunity to go even bigger in 2022. They decided to increase the amount of money going to humane societies in race markets, and they settled on $4,800. The total for wins remained at $10,000.
Based on the 29 completed races (one win), Bowman and Ally have already donated a combined $144,400 to humane societies in 2022. This total will only increase as the Cup Series drivers close out the 36-race season. They will add at least $33,600 in the remaining races. Though this total will increase if Bowman wins another race.
“Alex’s unwavering commitment to animal welfare has captured the hearts of millions while saving millions of animals’ lives,” said Dawn Duncan, Director of Development for Halifax Humane Society. “His use of the national stage to promote happy and healthy pets makes him a stellar example to all.”
This Support for Animals Became Critical After the 2020 Season
This support for animals has always been important, but 2020 changed the conversation. There were people that adopted animals while stuck at home, but some did not keep them after the shutdowns ended.
“Anything we can do to raise awareness for rescue animals, that kind of situation throughout the country,” Bowman told Heavy in March, ahead of his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “Obviously, I think a lot has gone on in the last couple of years.
“A lot of animals got adopted during the pandemic and then, unfortunately, it kind of created a situation where once people went back to work, it was a bad situation. A lot of animals got returned. So kind of raising awareness to the situation and the world that we’re in when it comes to that stuff is really important.”
Bowman saw a way that he could support animals that were suddenly without homes, and he had a willing partner in Ally. Once they joined forces in 2021, they began dedicating a considerable amount of money while working with Best Friends Animal Society.