Latest news with #109thRunningoftheIndianapolis500
Fox Sports
21-05-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
FOX Sports Teams With Purple Heart Homes to Transform Veterans' Lives Ahead of Indianapolis 500 - Fox Sports Press Pass
Housing Renovations in Local Community Highlight Company's Commitment to Support America's Heroes LOS ANGELES – FOX Sports today announces a major initiative with national non-profit partner Purple Heart Homes to renovate and restore the homes – and lives – of U.S. military veterans in Indianapolis ahead of the network's inaugural coverage of the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Sunday, May 25 , on FOX, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app. The initiative, powered by a charitable grant from the FOX Sports Gamechanger Fund and Fox Corporation's FOX Forward program, enables Purple Heart Homes to complete major home renovations for four local veterans in Indianapolis and highlights a shared mission to ensure veterans in the local community can age in place with safety, dignity and independence. The work includes roof and floor replacements, bathroom renovations and barrier-free upgrades designed to improve veterans' safety and accessibility and support their long-term, independent living. 'It's an honor to work alongside Purple Heart Homes to improve the quality of life for veterans in Indianapolis by providing the housing solutions they need to thrive in their communities,' said Eric Shanks, CEO and Executive Producer, FOX Sports. 'The partnership between FOX Sports and Purple Heart Homes is central to our efforts to serve the military heroes who selflessly served us.' In recognition of this meaningful work, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hegsett officially proclaimed the week of May 12-18 'Purple Heart Homes & Partners Veteran Impact Week,' commending the collaborative efforts of FOX Sports, its parent company, Fox Corporation, and Purple Heart Homes in serving the city's veteran community in the lead-up to the Indianapolis 500. The proclamation acknowledges the critical role of safe and accessible housing in supporting veterans and celebrates the public-private partnerships that made this mission possible. 'This partnership reflects the spirit of service, collaboration and community that defines the city of Indianapolis and sets a powerful example of what can be achieved when public, private and non-profit sectors work together in support of our heroes,' the proclamation reads. Last week, veterans Kevin Smith (U.S. Air Force), Gary Dean (U.S. Army), Donald Covington (U.S. Marines) and a U.S. Army veteran who asked to remain anonymous began receiving personalized home renovations thanks to this initiative. Each transformation, completed by Purple Heart Homes with support from local Indianapolis non-profit Home Repairs for Good, showcases the collective power of national funding and community action. 'This work is about restoring dignity, independence and peace of mind to the people who have given so much to our country,' said Dave Sternberg, Chair of the Purple Heart Homes Board. 'We are honored by the continued partnership of FOX Sports and look forward to what lies ahead in our growing collaboration with Home Repairs for Good.' As part of FOX Sports' coverage of the Indianapolis 500, viewers across the country will see featured storytelling across its platforms spotlighting the impact this partnership is having on veterans in real-time, reinforcing FOX Sports' deep-rooted support of military and veteran communities. During race weekend, FOX Sports in partnership with INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will welcome the veterans and Purple Heart Homes leaders to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for an unforgettable experience that includes behind-the-scenes access to FOX Sports broadcast sets, meet-and-greets with FOX Sports on-air personalities, exclusive tours of the racetrack garages and VIP tickets for race day. The FOX Sports Gamechanger Fund is a part of the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives to give back to local communities in cities nationwide. Founded in 2020 to benefit non-profit partners in its Super Bowl host cities, the fund has since expanded to further the company's mission to support and create fighting chances for our nation's military heroes through its FOX Sports Supports corporate social responsibility initiative in connection to the company's presentation of its tentpole sporting events.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center gets $400K for clinical trials program
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBPCC) received a $400,000 grant for its clinical trials program. According to MBPCC, the two-year grant from the Gilead Foundation will fund a dedicated patient navigator and support community engagement opportunities to raise awareness about the benefits of clinical trials. As part of an awareness campaign, The Walls Project will create a large mural in North Baton Rouge, set to be unveiled in the summer. 'Diverse participation in clinical trials is not only an issue of equity, but of scientific accuracy and advancement,' said Dr. Victor Lin, MD, PhD, research medical director. 'When clinical research reflects the full spectrum of our communities, we're able to develop treatments that are more effective for more people.' Every patient is evaluated for potential clinical trial participation. MBPCC said minority populations make up 21% of those on an active clinical trial. The center aims to achieve a 5-10% increase in participation rates of underrepresented populations in breast clinical trials by August 2026. After a political career shaped by cancer, Biden faces his own grim diagnosis Hannah Kobayashi speaks out after disappearance, father's death Star of 'My 600-lb Life' Latonya Pottain dies Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center gets $400K for clinical trials program 'My embryo's a little fighter;' IVF patients thank heroes after California bombing STARTING GRID | 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox Sports
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Paddock Buzz: Robert Shwartzman Celebrates Pole Shocker at McDonald's
INDYCAR Robert Shwartzman became the underdog story of the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge by earning NTT P1 Award honors in the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet. Rookie Shwartzman, from Israel, completed a four-lap average of 232.790 mph to take the top spot for the first oval race of his life. He is the first rookie to win the '500' pole since Teo Fabi in 1983. 'I've never witnessed qualifying as big as it was yesterday in the Indy 500,' Shwartzman said. 'Qualifying is always cool, but the mentality is that the race is the main thing. Here, it seems that the qualifying is an actual race. It's like yesterday, I felt like I've won a race.' How does the rookie pole winner who became an overnight sensation celebrate? 'I went to McDonalds,' he said. By the time Shwartzman completed media obligations, he exited Indianapolis Motor Speedway around 10:15 p.m. ET. Shwartzman drove to Fishers, Indiana, about 30-40 minutes north of the Speedway, which is also near PREMA's shop, and noticed there were few options open for food that late on a Sunday night. So, the Golden Arches it was. 'I ordered a McChicken, chicken nuggets and a bit of fries,' Shwartzman said. 'I had no food since I don't know when, came back home straight away, just ate it because I was so hungry, jumped in the shower, and went straight to bed. That was around 12:20 a.m., I think, and then 6:30 a.m. woke up, so around six hours of sleep.' By Monday, he was already back to work, logging 76 laps in practice and finishing 26th on the speed charts at 222.561 mph. Far from discouraged, he emphasized that it was a session focused on learning, experimenting with different positions in traffic and observing experienced drivers. 'We put myself in different positions in the grid to see how it feels and how the car behaves, for my understanding,' Shwartzman said. 'Overall, quite happy. 'We need to obviously work a little bit on getting the car a bit stronger. I was in a group with Alex (Palou) and Pato (O'Ward), and me and Pato seemed to be quite similar, but Alex was a tiny bit stronger, feeling-wise. So, we need to see what was different and try to get a bit more grip.' Ericsson Confident of '500' Chances Marcus Ericsson may not have lit up the speed charts in his No. 28 Allegra Honda for Andretti Global during Monday's practice session, ranking 18th at 224.056. But don't mistake that for a lack of confidence. The 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2023 runner-up, both for Chip Ganassi Racing, knows exactly what it takes to win at the Brickyard. He thinks he has the car to do it again. 'We're strong now, and we still have more to put into the car,' Ericsson said. Despite the modest practice speed, Ericsson's focus isn't on raw pace alone. The two-hour session took place in weather that closely mirrors what's expected on Race Day, partly cloudy skies with air temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s. Drivers said those conditions offer a reliable preview of how the car will perform in Sunday's 200-lap showdown. 'I know what car I need to win this race, and I feel we have that,' he said. 'I'm feeling very confident.' And confidence matters. Ericsson has proven he can be both aggressive and strategic when it counts most. Starting ninth this weekend, he'll again be in striking distance, just as he was in 2022 when he won from fifth. O'Ward's Confidence Stems from New Approach Pato O'Ward (photo, above) entered '500' Race Week activity in his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet with quiet confidence. He qualified third and believes this is his best championship start in five full-time seasons, despite being fourth in points, trailing Alex Palou by 100 points. Considering Palou's dominant form, O'Ward is taking a pragmatic and mature approach to the title chase. Rather than obsessing over Palou's performance, he's focused inward. 'You can't focus on him (Palou),' O'Ward said. 'All you can do is, if you leave every single week knowing that you maximize, or at least turn the weekends around, that could have been a lot worse. That's a win in itself. Everyone's riding their own wave. My championship is not going to be the same.' O'Ward's early-season results are testament to that philosophy. His NTT P1 Award at The Thermal Club (where he led 51 of 65 laps and finished second), a sixth-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park and a gritty climb from 23rd to 11th in the season opener at St. Petersburg have all been foundational in keeping his title hopes alive. It's not just about winning races anymore for O'Ward; it's about surviving the rough ones, salvaging points and keeping himself in contention when it matters most. 'We literally turned stuff into gold,' O'Ward said. 'That is ultimately what you'll be thinking at the end of the year.' Heading into the Indy 500, a race in which O'Ward finished runner-up two of the last three years, he's in a strong mental space. 'I'm in a great space,' O'Ward said. 'I love where I'm at. Like, I genuinely think we've been doing a great job. And I'm excited. There's so many races to go. We've seen so many times that people have a lightning start, and this goes in waves. They're going to get their fair share of bad luck, which we've already had a few.' Lundgaard Joins Arrow McLaren Incentives The playful, yet telling, banter between O'Ward and Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard reveals a lighter side of the high-stakes pressure heading into the Indianapolis 500, especially when it comes to what's on the line beyond the Borg-Warner Trophy. For years, O'Ward has been open about striking 'side deals' with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, ranging from luxury watches to Formula One test drives and even exotic McLaren supercars. These personal incentives have been part of O'Ward's motivational tool kit, though he clarified that nothing formal is on the table this year. But that hasn't stopped new teammate Lundgaard from stirring the pot. 'It's funny; I was looking at cars,' Lundgaard said, recalling a moment that made his girlfriend roll her eyes. 'Just me lying there looking on my phone, asking, 'Hey, what do you think about this, this and that?'' While he hasn't officially spoken with Brown yet, Lundgaard dropped a hint that Arrow McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan had casually brought up incentives during the Velocity Invitational luxury motorsports festival last year. 'I'm not sure Zak's aware of that, so I definitely need to send him a message to make sure we're all on the same page,' Lundgaard said with a laugh. 'I need that in writing.' Odds And Ends Each of the first four rows of Sunday's race includes at least one '500' winner. Two-time winner Takuma Sato is in the first row, 2008 winner Scott Dixon starts in Row 2, 2022 winner Ericsson is in Row 3, and 2016 winner Alexander Rossi starts in Row 4. Row 7 consists of last year's top-finishing rookie, Christian Rasmussen, and 2024 Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson. The next practice is from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday (FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network) on Miller Lite Carb Day. recommended
Fox Sports
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Foyt Teams Up Again with ABC Supply To Drive Support for Veterans
INDYCAR ABC Supply Co., Inc., Homes For Our Troops (HFOT), AJ Foyt Racing and Santino Ferrucci are teaming up at the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge to drive support for American military veterans. The partnership has set an important goal: raise $4 million to provide life-changing support for severely injured post-9/11 veterans. And now through May 31, ABC Supply will match the first $1 million donated, doubling the impact. Fans can donate today at This mission extends to the track, too. AJ Foyt Racing is back with driver Santino Ferrucci behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet, sporting its iconic red, white and blue design sponsored by ABC Supply and dedicated to veterans supported by HFOT and those across the nation. For over two decades, Homes For Our Troops has been a leading nonprofit transforming lives by building and donating specially adapted custom homes for severely injured veterans. Some highlights: Over 405 specially adapted custom homes have been designed and built nationwide, empowering veterans to regain independence and rebuild their lives. Nearly 90 cents of every dollar raised goes directly toward program services for veterans. HFOT's support for veterans goes well beyond move-in day, helping each individual rebuild their life with guidance in areas like employment, education, health and dedicated financial planning. 'Homes For Our Troops' Platinum Partner ABC Supply is once again pledging their commitment to our nation's veterans by spotlighting HFOT during the 109th Running of the Indy 500 in 2025,' says HFOT President and CEO Brigadier General (Ret.) Tom Landwermeyer. 'Their fundraising goal of $4 million with a $1 million match advances our mission of Building Homes and Rebuilding Lives, enabling us to get even more severely injured post-9/11 veterans and their families into the specially adapted custom homes they need and deserve.' This is the fourth year ABC Supply is hosting this campaign and its fifth year as a platinum sponsor of HFOT. Last year, the campaign crossed the finish line with an incredible $5.2 million raised. Since 2020, ABC Supply's support has allowed HFOT to start construction on 26 percent more homes each year. 'It's incredible to see the growing support for our veterans each year,' says Mike Jost, president and chief operating officer at ABC Supply. 'We're proud to help stretch every donation further with our $1 million match and make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who have served our country.' recommended
