Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation

Best Organization

Received by: Sam Schmidt, Founder, Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation 
Presented by: Heather Whitestone McCallum, Miss America (1995)

Sam Schmidt was a race car driver who competed in three Indy 500s until a crash in 2000 left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.  Today he is the impetus behind the Sam Schmidt Paralysis foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that raises funds through the power of motorsports for medical research, as well as the treatment and rehabilitation of others dealing with spinal cord injuries.  Since the Foundation was formed, he has raised over $1.5 million dollars.