Public Invited to Help NASCAR Driver Joey Gase Honor Local Donors and a Recipient Ahead of Father’s Day Race

Altoona, IA—Joey Gase Racing is teaming up with Iowa Donor Network to present the Handprints for Hope event on Friday, June 14th from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Iowa Donor Network Office in Altoona. The public is invited to meet Gase and place a Handprint for Hope on Gase’s race car in support of organ and tissue donation. The #35 race car honors two Des Moines area fathers, each with connections to donation, for Gase’s race on Father’s Day. The hood of Gase’s race car features photos of tissue donor, Mike Nelson of Polk City and heart recipient, Robert Crowdes of Ankeny. Nelson is the father of two girls, he worked for Iowa Donor Network at the time of his passing and became a tissue donor. Crowdes has one son and three grandsons, he received his new heart in December of 2018 after spending a year on the transplant waiting list. As always, a photo of Gase’s Mom, Mary, who passed away in April 2011 and became a donor to save and improve the lives of 66 people, will also be featured on Gase’s race car.

Gase’s car featuring Nelson, Crowdes, and the Handprints for Hope will race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Circuit City 250 race at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, June 16th. Families of Nelson and Crowdes will be present for the race on Sunday and the Handprints for Hope event on Friday.  

The media is invited to attend the Handprints for Hope event on Friday, June 14th at the Iowa Donor Network office located at 320 Adventureland Drive NW in Altoona. There will be opportunities to get footage of people placing their Handprints for Hope on Gase’s race car and to interview Joey Gase, the families of Mike Nelson and Robert Crowdes, and Iowa Donor Network staff.
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For more information about Iowa Donor Network please visit our website at:  www.iowadonornetwork.org.

Based in North Liberty, Iowa Donor Network is the fully accredited and federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) serving Iowa. Certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, IDN coordinates with health care professionals, funeral directors and others involved in the donation process. IDN also works with donor families before, during and after donation, to educate, support, and help families work through their grief. For more information, log on to www.IowaDonorNetwork.org, or call (800) 831-4131.

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SEE BELOW FOR EVENT INFORMATION: