Getty Comcast will crown its Community Champion of the Year in Nashville.
The biggest stars in NASCAR will cap off the month of November by heading to Nashville for the Champion’s Banquet. Comcast will kick off the celebratory week by crowning the Community Champion of the Year.
The prestigious award was created with the purpose of recognizing the philanthropic efforts of individuals within the NASCAR industry. The annual award has highlighted numerous individuals, such as FOX Sports reporter Jamie Little (nominee), World Wide Technology Raceway owner Curtis Francois (winner), Bubba Wallace (winner), Joey Logano (winner), Matt Kaulig (nominee), and the Chip Ganassi Racing pit crew department (winner).
Comcast will announce the winner of the annual award the day prior to the Champion’s Banquet. Francois will join a panel of Comcast and NASCAR executives to select the deserving individual that will secure a $60,000 donation for their respective charity. The runner-ups will walk away with $30,000 in donations for their charities.
Comcast Announced the Nominees in October
GettySherry Pollex prepares to drive the pace car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Every season, Comcast selects three nominees that will be eligible for Comcast Community Champion of the Year. 2022 was no different as the company revealed the nominees ahead of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
The three nominees are Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams, Sherry Pollex, and Senior Director of Live Shows at CSM Production Jes Ferreira. All three have spent considerable time trying to help others.
Prior to numerous Xfinity Series races, Williams visited more than 150 children’s hospitals around the country. When COVID-19 made it impossible for him to conduct these visits, he began working with OhmniLabs to continue them virtually with Telepresence robots. Additionally, Williams has begun working with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation to help build closed-circuit TV and radio studios in children’s hospitals.
Pollex has been supporting those affected by cancer since 2007. She helped longtime partner Martin Truex Jr. develop his foundation, which initially had the focus of supporting children with cancer. The situation changed once Pollex was diagnosed with Stage 3c ovarian cancer. Now, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation raises awareness, boosts advocacy, and generates financial support for underfunded cancer initiatives specific to childhood and ovarian cancer.
Pollex also made a significant move in 2016. She launched SherryStrong.org. She has used this website “to empower women to know their bodies and recognize the symptoms of ovarian cancer with a focus on healthy living through holistic and integrative medicine.”
Ferreira’s focus has been on helping CSM put on live shows through its partnerships with NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports, and the NTT IndyCar Series among others. However, she also chose to become a foster parent to two young girls, ages 5 and 8.
Ferreira has an affiliation with Foster Village Charlotte. This charity collaborates with 16 private foster parent licensing agencies, child welfare organizations, the community, and local government so that it can serve foster parents while helping them connect with each other.
Comcast Has Donated Nearly $1 Million to Charities
GettyJosh Williams (left) waves to fans at Richmond Raceway.
Comcast entered NASCAR in 2015 when its Xfinity brand became the entitlement sponsor of one of the national series. This inaugural season featured Chris Buescher winning the championship and Joey Gase winning the first Comcast Community Champion of the Year Award.
There have been seven members of the NASCAR industry that have won this prestigious award. As a result, Comcast has made $840,000 in donations to more than 21 NASCAR-affiliated charitable organizations. This number will only increase with the naming of the 2022 Comcast Community Champion of the Year on November 30.
“We are honored to be able to recognize these three champions within the sport who do so much good for the world each and every day,” said Matt Lederer, Comcast’s vice president of branded partnerships. “Josh, Sherry, and Jes have all made a significant impact on their communities in their own unique ways, and Comcast is proud to be able to celebrate their efforts.”