Ryan Hunter-Reay and AutoNation Pledge to Help Drive Out Cancer

IndyCar Display Unveiled at NSU to Highlight Importance of Cancer Research

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marc Cannon, AutoNation chief marketing officer; William Kopas, NSU University School head of school; Dr. Jacqueline A. Travisano, NSU executive vice president and chief operating officer; Razor, NSU mascot; Dr. Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, NSU vice president of advancement and community relations; Dr. Jean Latimer, associate professor, NSU College of Pharmacy (Credit: Downtown Photo/Ryan Pinder)

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Indy 500 Champion, Ryan Hunter-Reay will suit up for his ninth Indy 500 on Sunday, May 29, but he’s got more riding on this race than ever before.

Alongside AutoNation, the country’s largest automotive retailer, Hunter-Reay is pledging to spread awareness about the importance of raising funds to accelerate the race to find a cure. In fact since 2013, AutoNation and Hunter-Reay, through his non-profit Racing for Cancer, Inc. have generated more than $6 million to fund cancer research. And now, just in time for the 100^th running of the Indianapolis 500, Nova Southeastern University (NSU), AutoNation and Hunter-Reay marked the event in a unique way.

“As I drive the iconic track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, my focus will not only be on the biggest prize in sports racing, but on the even bigger prize of finding a cure for a disease that has impacted me and so many people in such a dramatic way,” said Hunter-Reay, who lost his mother to colon cancer in 2010.

In order to raise awareness of the importance of funding cancer research, Racing for Cancer unveiled a display of Hunter-Reay’s No. 28 DHL Honda Indy Car at NSU’s Don Taft University Center on Monday, May 23, 2016. The display will remain indefinitely.

Middle school students from NSU’s University School attended the ceremony to learn about the importance of cancer research. Representatives from AutoNation celebrated the unveiling as part of their mission to help spread the word on the importance of finding better methods of prevention, treatments and cures.

“Displaying an Indy 500 car right here on NSU’s campus is a great way to showcase what AutoNation, NSU and Ryan Hunter-Reay are doing in the fight against cancer, said Marc Cannon, AutoNation’s chief marketing officer. “Since 2013, AutoNation has donated more than $7 Million to help fund cancer research and has no plans to slow down anytime soon!”

“NSU is heavily focused on cancer research and is making strident efforts to bring experts from a variety of fields together to tackle different forms of this terrible disease,” said NSU President Dr. George Hanbury. “We are proud to work with Mr. Hunter-Reay, Racing for Cancer, and AutoNation, to drive out cancer.”

NSU will soon open the 215,000 sq. ft., $80 million, Center for Collaborative Research (CCR), one of the largest and most advanced research facilities in Florida, with state-of-the-art laboratories. The CCR will be home to NSU’s Institute for Breast and Solid Tumor Cancer Research, NSU’s Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, NSU’s Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine and the NSU Cell Therapy Institute (a partnership with researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden), all of which will collaborate on cancer research. Additionally, researchers from NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography are collaborating with the labs to develop natural sea-derived drug products.

NSU has unveiled the Realizing Potential: The Campaign for Nova Southeastern University, the largest philanthropic campaign in the university’s 52-year history and in the history of Broward County. $250 million will be raised through this campaign. Another $300 million will come from sponsored research, service, and training programs.

Be sure to sign up for NSU’s RSS feed so you don’t miss any of our news releases, guest editorials and other announcements. Please sign up HERE.

# # #

 About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution with more than 26,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

About AutoNation, Inc.: AutoNation is America’s largest automotive retailer, currently owning and operating 368 new vehicle franchises from coast to coast. AutoNation sold its 10 millionth vehicle in 2015, the first automotive retailer to reach this milestone. AutoNation was the first automotive retailer to guarantee every vehicle retailed, is recall free. A commitment to delivering a peerless experience through customer-focused sales and service processes is what drives AutoNation’s success. AutoNation supports the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through its Drive Pink Campaign. AutoNation is transforming the automotive industry through bold leadership, technology and innovation.

Contact Information:

Julie Spechler, M.A. | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5348 (office) | 954-591-3361 (cell)
julies@nova.edu

Jeremy Katzman, M.B.A., APR | Office of Public Relations
954-262-1535 (office) | 954-661-7000 (cell)
j.katzman@nova.edu