North Carolina Dining in the Dark To Honor NASCAR Leaders Oct. 9

Charlotte, NC (Sept. 17, 2012) — The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national nonprofit focused on vision-saving research, will honor Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing and proprietor of Childress Vineyards, and Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, with Visionary Awards at its 2nd Annual North Carolina Dining in the Dark fundraiser. The event, taking place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the Ritz Carlson, Charlotte, will raise critical awareness and research funds toward preventions, treatments and cures for sight-robbing retinal degenerative diseases including macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome, and related conditions.

Dining in the Dark is a distinctive sensory awareness experience in which guests participate in an unforgettable dining adventure, in complete darkness. To get a glimpse into the lives of the blind, diners will wear special light-blocking blindfolds and enjoy their entrée using only their heightened senses of smell, sound, taste and touch.

“Reactions to Dining in the Dark are truly powerful because people often don’t realize the daily challenges of living with low to no vision. We’re thrilled to recognize two accomplished NASCAR legends as the racing industry comes together to support research in promising areas like gene therapy and stem cells that offers hope to the more than 10 million Americans affected with retinal diseases,” says Dining in the Dark Chair and Foundation Board Member Marilyn Green, of Greensboro. Green, who is visually impaired due to the genetic disease retinitis pigmentosa, is NASCAR’s original, iconic Miss Winston girl, who would greet race winners in Victory Lane. She now operates Marilyn’s Model and Talent Management that she founded in 1972. She and husband Dean Green, the evening’s Innovator Sponsor, have passionately supported the Foundation’s fight against blindness for over 30 years.

Visionary Award Honoree Richard Childress has made a major impact as a NASCAR driver, owner and philanthropist. The Winston-Salem native is a 14-time champion team owner, with more than 200 overall victories. He achieved an impressive six championships and 67 victories with the legendary Dale Earnhardt, and 76 top-10 finishes as a NASCAR Cup Series driver from 1969-1981. His Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma was formed in 2008 to help pave the way for others in the nation searching for ways to help save the lives of severely injured children.

Also receiving the Foundation’s Visionary Award is NASCAR President Mike Helton, who began his racing career at Atlanta International Raceway over 30 years ago, and has held leadership positions at Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the International Speedway Corporation. Since taking the helm of NASCAR, he has championed the effort to increase driver safety, and introduced the Car of Tomorrow design in 2008.

Individual tickets are available for $350 each and sponsorship packages begin at $2,500. For ticket and sponsorship information, contact Lesley Ireland at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (919) 781-8014, or visit www.FightBlindness.org/DiningInTheDark. To request media credentials or coordinate an interview with an event spokesperson, contact Allie Gebhardt at 410-423-0643 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About Foundation Fighting Blindness

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national nonprofit driving research that will lead to preventions, treatments and cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases that affect more than 10 million Americans. Since 1971, the Foundation has raised more than $450 million as the leading non-governmental funder of retinal research. Breakthrough Foundation-funded studies using gene therapy have restored significant vision in children and young adults who were previously blind, paving the way for using this method to treat a variety of retinal degenerative diseases, and proving a cure is in sight. With a network of nearly 50 chapters, the Foundation also provides support and resources to affected individuals and their families in communities across the country.