The Make-A-Wish Foundation presented Cathy Hendrick with a Chris Greicius Lifetime Giving Award in John Hendrick’s name. Hendrick was killed, along with their twin daughers, in the crash of a Hendrick Motorsports team plane on Oct. 24. John Hendrick was nominated for the award late last summer, and in late September Selena Rogers, the president of the foundation’s central and Western North Carolina chapter learned it had been awarded. About a week later, before the family ever knew about the honor, John was one of 10 people who died when a team plane crashed into a mountainside on the way to a race at Martinsville, Va. Rogers said she waited several months before telling Cathy Hendrick about the award, waiting for the right time. A few weeks ago, Rogers sent word to the family about the award and planning for Wednesday’s luncheon began. When the time came for Cathy Hendrick to accept the award, she took her brother-in-law, Rick Hendrick, to the podium and let him do the talking. The Chris Greicius Award is named for the first child who inspired the Make-A-Wish program. Greicuis wanted to be a state trooper, so just before he died in 1985 some people made that happen for him for one day. After he was gone, they decided there must be other children with other wishes that could be granted. Cathy Hendrick said she tried to figure out what John would have done in accepting the award. “He never would have come here to get this without having something to give back,” she said. So after accepting the award, Cathy and Rick handed the Make-A-Wish folks a check for $100,000.(see full column and quotes at ThatsRacin.com)(6-2-2005)
