So I am very fortunate to have a job with The Dale Jr. Foundation - the non-profit world is so fulfilling! I really wanted to share with you all the sweet story about Dale Jr.'s 200th Wish Kid, Jeffrey. I just thought the above picture from this past weekend said it all. We got to hang out with Jeffrey and Dale Jr. this week at Dale's house. Jeffrey's wish is going to be on ESPN Sports Center's "My Wish" series between July 18-22. We held a hospitality event to raise money for Make A Wish and celebrate Dale Jr's 200th with with he and Jeffrey. It was a great weekend and the rains held off (we were really worried about them ruining our day!!) Below is the article published by the Charlotte Observer, please read, it's been a special past couple of days for mister Jeffrey :)
Earnhardt Jr. grants a wish for Maine teen
The smile on Jeffrey Bezzell's face Saturday said it all.
The smile he had when he climbed into the seat of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s race car in the garage area Saturday afternoon.
The smile he had when he talked about the drive he took with Dale Jr. on Thursday.
For three days, the 15-year old from Bangor, Maine, was in and around Charlotte getting the full Dale Jr. treatment as part of a Make-A-Wish Foundation program that brought him to see his favorite driver.
Bezzell is fighting alport syndrome, a kidney condition that will likely require a transplant, and his weekend with Dale Jr. will be documented as part of ESPN's "My Wish" series on "SportsCenter" July 18-22.
"He's a lot better guy than I knew," Bezzell said during a break Saturday afternoon. "I knew he was a good guy, but not like that."
When Earnhardt and Bezzell met Thursday, the driver had his young guest's favorite pepperoni pizza for them to share.
They drove go-karts on one of Earnhardt's three tracks at his home. Bezzell was in a No.3 Wrangler kart and won a five-lap race against Earnhardt and Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski.
After spending some time in front of the cameras following them and the rest of Bezzell's family, Earnhardt took the 15-year-old on a private ride away from everyone else. Just the two of them, getting some time together.
That, Bezzell said, was his favorite part of the weekend.
During a tour through the garage on Saturday, Earnhardt's crew chief Lance McGrew put Bezzell in the driver's seat, where he stayed for several minutes while crew members worked on the car.
"I wanted to drive the car," Bezzell said.
Bezzell also got to share the stage with Earnhardt during driver introductions Saturday night and take a ride around the track with him during a pre-race ceremony.
Watching his son savoring the experience, Bezzell's father, Jeff, said, "This has been a great wish."
The smile on Jeffrey Bezzell's face Saturday said it all.
The smile he had when he climbed into the seat of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s race car in the garage area Saturday afternoon.
The smile he had when he talked about the drive he took with Dale Jr. on Thursday.
For three days, the 15-year old from Bangor, Maine, was in and around Charlotte getting the full Dale Jr. treatment as part of a Make-A-Wish Foundation program that brought him to see his favorite driver.
Bezzell is fighting alport syndrome, a kidney condition that will likely require a transplant, and his weekend with Dale Jr. will be documented as part of ESPN's "My Wish" series on "SportsCenter" July 18-22.
"He's a lot better guy than I knew," Bezzell said during a break Saturday afternoon. "I knew he was a good guy, but not like that."
When Earnhardt and Bezzell met Thursday, the driver had his young guest's favorite pepperoni pizza for them to share.
They drove go-karts on one of Earnhardt's three tracks at his home. Bezzell was in a No.3 Wrangler kart and won a five-lap race against Earnhardt and Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski.
After spending some time in front of the cameras following them and the rest of Bezzell's family, Earnhardt took the 15-year-old on a private ride away from everyone else. Just the two of them, getting some time together.
That, Bezzell said, was his favorite part of the weekend.
During a tour through the garage on Saturday, Earnhardt's crew chief Lance McGrew put Bezzell in the driver's seat, where he stayed for several minutes while crew members worked on the car.
"I wanted to drive the car," Bezzell said.
Bezzell also got to share the stage with Earnhardt during driver introductions Saturday night and take a ride around the track with him during a pre-race ceremony.
Watching his son savoring the experience, Bezzell's father, Jeff, said, "This has been a great wish."
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