NASCAR Announces College Scholarship Program

--UPS Supports Return Of Diversity Initiative--

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 12, 2011) – NASCAR today announced the return of the NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program and the University of Central Florida, DeVos School of Management Scholarship.

For a second consecutive year, the NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program is funded in part by long-time NASCAR partner UPS. The program was established to provide financial support to deserving African-American and Hispanic students currently enrolled in college who are pursuing degrees in areas of study related to motorsports, including marketing, engineering and public relations.

The scholarship program is part of NASCAR Diversity Affairs’ integrated initiative that includes a scholarship program, mentorship program and summer internship program.

“We are continually seeking ways to further engage students as fans and as future employees of the sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president, public affairs and multicultural development. “The goal is to create permanent employment prospects for diverse college students entering the work force through viable, real-world opportunities.”

The NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program provides annual scholarships administered by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). In addition, NASCAR and UPS support a scholarship program for students attending the University of Central Florida, DeVos School of Management which offers a master’s program in sports management.

“UPS’s commitment to diversity extends beyond our workforce, and we’re excited to continue our support with NASCAR in this important initiative,” said Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, global sponsorships & events.

The scholarships are based on the following award criteria:
* 3.0 GPA requirement
* Documented financial need
* College juniors, seniors and graduate students with majors in: business, communications, engineering, mass media, public relations or technology
* Participation in the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) is encouraged but not required


Facts about Wendell Scott
Wendell Scott was the first African American driver to win a NASCAR Cup race. He won in NASCAR's premier series on Dec. 1, 1963, on a 1-mile dirt track in Jacksonville, Fla. Wendell Scott made 495 starts during his career and posted 147 top-10 finishes before retiring in 1973. Scott died in 1990. As part of an ongoing effort to recognize trailblazers in the sport, Wendell Scott was recognized during the Las Vegas Race the weekend of March 4-6, 2011, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of his first start – March 4, 1961 in Spartanburg, SC.

For additional information, contact:
Leslie Maxie, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications, (212) 326-1840 or (347) 254-8638 lmaxie@nascar.com

 

FSN AND FARMERS INSURANCE TEAM UP TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

Farmers Insurance Group Signs on as Presenting Sponsor of FSN’s Year-Long Diversity Campaign

Original Programs to Debut During Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

LOS ANGELES—FSN, the nation’s leader in local sports, and Farmers Insurance Group today announced plans to team up to celebrate diversity, as Farmers has signed on to be the presenting sponsor of FSN’s year-long diversity awareness campaign.

The campaign will be woven through three major national diversity celebrations including Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), Black History Month (February), and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May).

Among the campaign’s highlights will be a variety of original programs, including 30-minute and 60-minute specials, as well as a series of vignettes entitled Americans in Focus that will honor the achievements and contributions of Americans with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In producing these programs, FSN has partnered with Beezley Films, Inc., an award-winning, African-American-owned, multi-media production company based in Los Angeles. The vignettes will appear in a variety of FSN programming throughout the year, including NBA, NHL, and MLB telecasts.

Additionally, FSN will televise the Farmers Insurance Group Angel City Classic, the annual football extravaganza held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, that showcases teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This year’s game will feature Morehouse College and Prairie View A&M, and it will be televised live throughout Southern California by Prime Ticket @ 2:00 p.m. PT on September 27, as well as to a nationwide audience by FSN’s other regional sports networks.

“It’s an honor to receive this great support from Farmers for our diversity platform,” said Craig Sloan, senior vice president, national advertising sales, FSN. “Our goal with this year-long campaign is to raise awareness of multi-culturalism and share with our viewers these compelling stories of individuals who made significant contributions to society, both in sports and beyond.”

Added Faye W. McClure, vice president, strategic marketing for Farmers Insurance: “Farmers has an 80-year history of supporting the communities where we live and work. We are pleased to partner with FSN to showcase the power of diversity through stories about real people that have made a difference in our communities. Through this partnership, we expect to positively touch the lives of millions through the vignettes, the specials, and our High School sports program.”

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, FSN’s Americans in Focus vignettes will chronicle the stories of past and present Hispanic Americans who have excelled in their professions and have inspired others to greatness. Subjects include: Victor Villasenor, who overcame dyslexia and racial bias to become an award-winning author of seven best sellers; Admiral David Farragut, a U.S. Civil War hero who became the first U.S. naval officer ever to be awarded the rank of Admiral; and Dr. Juan Carlos Finlay, who discovered the cause and eventual cure for the transmission of Yellow Fever.

To further commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, MLB productions and FSN have collaborated to produce Our Game: The Latino Influence in Baseball, an hour-long documentary that will examine and celebrate the heritage of Latin American players in Major League Baseball. The program will be televised nationally across FSN’s networks in September, as the MLB season marches towards the playoffs.

In an effort to raise greater awareness for the diversity campaign in all of Farmers’ “core 29” states within the country, National Advertising Partners (NAP), the Fox-owned sales unit that represents RSNs across the country, has also secured exposure for elements of the campaign on Comcast Sports Net Bay Area, Comcast Sports Net Mid-Atlantic, and Comcast Sports Net Chicago.

FSN Networks
FSN’s regional networks are the nation’s leading provider of local sports. FSN’s owned-and-operated networks serve as the cable and satellite TV home to nearly two-thirds of all NBA, MLB, and NHL franchises in the U.S., producing close to 5,000 live, mostly local, events each year, including more than 1700 in high definition.

About Farmers Insurance
Farmers Group, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers® is the nation's third-largest Personal Lines Property & Casualty insurance group. Property and casualty products are underwritten and issued by the Farmers Exchanges and their subsidiaries, which Farmers Group, Inc. manages but does not own.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Farmers insurers provide Homeowners, Auto, Business, Life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at www.farmers.com.

-- FSN --