J.D. Byrider

It was still dark when the first interview of the day aired on Radio Disney from 6:30 to 7:00 a.m. The sunrise sky was taking on a beautiful orange hue when the first live interview with Jim England, J.D. Byrider Advertising Group president, hit Fox 59 TV at 7:00 a.m. By 8:15, when the live coverage on NBC’s The Today Show began, the sun was bright yellow. And when Jim did his live interview on NBC affiliate WTHR-13’s Chief Meteorologist, Chuck Lofton, the sky was beginning to turn a breathtaking cobalt blue.

But perhaps, the prettiest blue was that seen on the shirts of Team Byrider…the hearty group that showed up to walk to honor both victims and survivors of heart disease and stroke…and pay tribute to a relationship that was begun by the late Jim DeVoe, Sr. “I promised Jim when he was alive that I would make our relationship with the American Heart Association (AHA) mean something,” England said. “Since Jim’s untimely death, I’ve tried to make it mean even more. We need our associates to take better care of themselves so they can take better care of their families and our customers. Start! is the perfect answer to getting people up, moving and thinking about making better choices regarding diet and exercise.”

J.D. Byrider is a now a Cause Sponsor of the Indianapolis Start! Heart Walk. England serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the AHA in the Indianapolis Metropolitan area. Advertising Coordinator, Audrey Ryder, serves on the Logistics Committee for the walk, having been Chairman in 2009, and works with Jim to make sure the event is successful year after year.

Audrey was responsible for developing the concept of the “Start! Girls.” These girls don bright green wigs, green shirts, white shorts & tennis shoes with green laces to create more buzz about the event. “They’re a hit wherever they go”, says Audrey. “From the kickoff of National Start! Walking Day back in the spring, to the J.D. Byrider 100 at O’Reilly Raceway Park, to the walk itself, the girls create a lot of interest and excitement. The Start! Girls are usually made up of local high school dance teams from the central Indiana area.

And, then there was bright red. Seen both in the hats of the Heart and Stroke Survivors present at the event, and on the “Start Your Engines” shirts worn by members of the team from the Tony Stewart Foundation. Heart survivors Bailey Hunsberger and Josiah Scheller were joined by TSF representatives Joni Thompson and Julie Zintsmaster and all were part of a great fundraising project between J.D. Byrider, the Tony Stewart Foundation and Start!

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J.D. Byrider and Tony Stewart Foundation “Start Your Engines” campaign will hit full stride this Saturday.

Tony Stewart is one of the most competitive drivers on the NASCAR circuit, which should come as no surprise since he’s been a competitor and winner all his life. He’s puts his heart into everything he does, and he’s been involved in so many outstanding projects throughout the years. Back in July, Tony Stewart and Jim England, president of the J.D. Byrider Advertising Group, Inc. announced a new program that has A LOT of heart.

“The Tony Stewart Foundation (TSF) has a great relationship with Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, and with ICAN (the Indiana Canine Assistant Network)“, said Stewart. “We were very excited to announce our “Start Your Engines…it’s all about heart” effort to raise funds for the Indianapolis Start! Heart Walk for the American Heart Association.

“The Tony Stewart Foundation has organized its ‘Start Your Engines’ program asking Hoosiers to support the Start! Heart Walk in downtown Indianapolis,” said TSF Director Joni Thompson. “In keeping with our mission of helping children and animals, we’ve formed two teams to compete/participate in this year’s Start! Heart Walk. Josiah Scheller and Bailey Hunsberger will serve as Tony’s “Crew Chiefs” for the Heart Walk.”

Josiah is from Evansville, and he’s 9 years old. He was born with a congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s Anomaly and is being evaluated for a triscuspid valve replacement. He also is awaiting a service dog from ICAN.

Bailey has been a survivor for all of her 18 years. She also was born with a heart defect and had the first of 5 open-heart surgeries when she was just 3 days old.

Bailey and Josiah will both walk this Saturday at the Start! Heart Walk.

“As a member of the Executive Board of the American Heart Association and Chairman of this year’s Start! Heart Walk, I can’t thank Tony and the Tony Stewart Foundation for their participation,” said England. “We’re also very grateful for The Office Depot contribution of $2000 per team. That is truly a tremendous gesture on their part.”

“I also can’t thank the DeVoe family, the Senior Management Team, all of our Team Captains and all of our supporters at JD Byrider enough for their commitment. We’re truly blessed to have such a great group representing the ‘soul’ of JD Byrider. We’re truly committed to helping people advance in their lives, and this effort on behalf of the American Heart Association is further evidence of that. Thanks, again, to everyone, and thanks to Tony Stewart for putting his heart into everything he does. I truly value our friendship and relationship. It will be great to see 10,000 people downtown this Saturday, walking to celebrate yet another successful Start! Heart Walk.”

For more information about the Start! Heart Walk taking place on September 18th visit www.indyheartwalk.org or www.tonystewartfoundation.org.

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