Thanks and Giving Car to be Featured in Homestead

AutoZone and ppc Racing Saying Thanks and Giving Back to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 8, 2006) GPg PR - A unique national program will make its presence known at the season-ending NASCAR Busch series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week. AutoZone and ppc Racing have partnered up in an effort to bring awareness to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Thanks and Giving campaign this holiday season. The No. 22 AutoZone Ford Fusion piloted by driver Kenny Wallace will feature a very special paint scheme in support of the campaign.

AutoZone is one of 12 new retailers this year, bringing the total to 46 retailers across the country, to participate in the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign, an innovative cause-marketing effort now in its third year. The program asks consumers to “give thanks for the healthy kids in their lives and give to those who are not.” Customers nationwide are asked to help raise funds by shopping at participating retailers, such as AutoZone, by adding a donation at check out or by purchasing specialty items to benefit St. Jude.

“Partnering with St. Jude is one of the easiest business decisions AutoZone has ever made,” said Bill Rhodes, AutoZone’s President and CEO. “Their work brings hope to thousands of children and their families around the world. And, we share with ppc Racing the commitment to help St. Jude continue its life-saving research.

“This holiday season, more than 50,000 AutoZoners across the country will encourage our customers to give to St. Jude. It is our way of saying ‘Thanks’ to the researchers, doctors, staff and volunteers at St. Jude for making children their number one priority.”

This cause also has a significant meaning to the ppc Racing family, “About fifteen months ago I visited Memphis to meet with AutoZone. They invited me to tour St. Jude and I was instantly touched by the incredible work that the doctors, nurses and volunteers do for the sick children and families who had come there seeking health, hope and a cure,” explained ppc Racing team owner Greg Pollex. “Soon after we began that initiative our ppc Racing family was touched by the need for St. Jude when McKenzie O’Hara, the daughter of one of our people at ppc Racing, was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. She was admitted to St Jude exactly one year ago this week and today is free of cancer. We all have hope for her and other children because of individual donations from people across the country and we ask all of our ppc Racing and NASCAR fans to make a difference by visiting an AutoZone store and contributing to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”

The Thanks and Giving campaign became a reality in 2004 when National Outreach Director Marlo Thomas and her siblings Terre and Tony Thomas (children of hospital founder Danny Thomas) made the initiative to support the life-saving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center that pays for all treatment not covered by insurance, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. Eighty-four cents of every dollar received goes directly to research and treatment. St. Jude’s research impacts the lives of children in every community in the country and the research is freely and immediately shared with the medical communities worldwide.

“Everyone at St. Jude is so excited to have AutoZone join the Thanks and Giving campaign this year, and we’re thrilled to be a part of ppc Racing,” said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The race team learned first hand this year how St. Jude saves the lives of children in every community in America. It was a blessing that St. Jude was there for little McKenzie and it’s a blessing for St. Jude to have the support of generous partners like AutoZone and ppc Racing. We’ll never stop looking for cures for children like McKenzie, but we couldn’t perform our life-saving work without the support of these compassionate companies.”

In addition to the on-track presence and commemorative paint scheme, many of the cars participating in the Ford 300 will display a special green St. Jude Thanks and Giving decal and drivers taking part in Saturday’s NASCAR Busch series event will be asked to autograph the Thanks and Giving hood of the No. 22 car. The hood will be auctioned off at a later time with all proceeds benefiting St. Jude. For more information or to make a donation online, please visit www.tg.stjude.org.