EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. June 29, 2009 — LENOX, a leading manufacturer of premium power tool accessories, hand tools, torches, solder and band saw blades, announces that Pete Dingeman from Shelby Township, Mich. has received the most votes through www.lenoxhero.com and is the Grand Prize winner in the LENOX Extra Mile Hero Contest.
As the LENOX Extra Mile Hero, Dingeman wins the Grand Prize of $31,000! LENOX will also donate an additional $31,000 to The Children′s Tumor Foundation, his charity of choice.
"I am extremely honored to have been voted the LENOX Extra Mile Hero," stated Pete Dingeman. "The work I do with The Children′s Tumor Foundation is extremely important to me and I am happy for the attention they are getting through the LENOX Extra Mile Hero Contest. Thanks to the donation LENOX is making to the foundation, they are one step closer to finding a cure and ending the suffering of these brave children."
"The LENOX Extra Mile Hero Contest has been a great opportunity for us to connect with our customers, share stories of the everyday heroes among us, and donate funds to the charities that mean the most to our customers," stated Rich Mathews, vice president of marketing for LENOX. "Pete Dingeman′s job as a foreman at Griggs Steel in Michigan keeps him very busy, but he still finds time to raise money and awareness for the Children′s Tumor Foundation. We are proud to welcome him into the LENOX family as the Extra Mile Hero!"
"As our Michigan Chapter President, Pete has done so much – from running marathons to hosting patient support groups – to raise awareness and advance the cause of the Foundation," said Children′s Tumor Foundation President John Risner. "We are excited that LENOX has recognized Pete′s dedication, we honor and salute Pete and all the finalists for their commitment to their causes."
Dingeman is a foreman at Griggs Steel and spends much of his free time raising money and support for his favorite charity, The Children's Tumor Foundation. He personally suffered through a battle with cancer, but you would never know it when you see his high energy level, confidence and way of constantly giving with all of his heart to help find a cure and the children who are suffering with the disease.
The Children's Tumor Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) medical foundation, dedicated to improving the health and well being of individuals and families affected by neurofibromatoses (NF). www.ctf.org
About LENOX Extra Mile Hero Program
The LENOX Extra Mile Hero Contest kicked off in January 2008 with Jeff Burton requesting nominations. Burton and LENOX asked customers to submit stories of people who go the extra mile for their community. From the overwhelming response of more than 600 entries, a panel of professional judges narrowed it down to 10 finalists. In January, LENOX announced the top-10 finalists with each finalist receiving $3,100 with a matching gift going to their charity of choice. The finalists′ stories and their charities of choice are available at www.lenoxhero.com.
About LENOX
LENOX began in 1915 with a 10 employee team and a passion for bringing customers hacksaw blades that cut faster and lasted longer. Now, more than 90 years later, our passion hasn′t changed—but our team has grown to more than 600 people who manufacture and market the LENOX products in more than 70 countries. Our ISO 9001-certified facility in East Longmeadow, Mass., boasts a 500,000 square ft., 11 acre space for designing, testing and manufacturing power tool accessories, hand tools, band saw blades, torches, solder and accessories. LENOX is a Newell Rubbermaid company. For more information go to www.lenoxtools.com or sign up to get the latest news at www.twitter.com/lenoxtools, www.lenoxtools.com/facebook, or www.youtube.com/lenoxtools
About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com), celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009, has earned more than 180 victories and 12 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2009 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Casey Mears (No. 07 Jack Daniel′s), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper). Its 2009 Nationwide Series lineup includes Bowyer, Burton and Stephen Leicht (No. 29 Holiday Inn).