NASCAR Winner David Ragan, NephCure to Award 2011 Ford in Charity Sweepstakes

Online, July 12, 2011 (Newswire.com) - NASCAR driver David Ragan and The NephCure Foundation will award a 2011 Ford or $15,000 cash to the winner of NephCure's "Keys for a Cure" sweepstakes this November as the kidney disease non-profit works to raise money for medical research. NephCure funds studies of the incurable kidney diseases FSGS, which is the second-leading cause of kidney failure in children, and Nephrotic Syndrome.

Ragan, winner of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Coca Cola 400 in July, is featured in promotional materials for the campaign as its honorary chairperson. The sweepstakes will take place throughout the summer and fall and tickets are available for a donation of $50. The winners of the sweepstakes will be chosen in December, during a drawing at the foundation's annual Countdown to a Cure charity gala in New York City.

The grand prize is a choice between a new Ford Fusion, Mustang or Escape or $15,000 cash. Ragan, an Ambassador for The NephCure Foundation, will be supplying the car from his David Ragan Ford dealership in Perry, GA. Second prize is a $2,500 vacation getaway gift certificate that can be used towards any vacation. The third prize winner will receive a big screen TV worth $1,100.

Tickets will also be sold at all NephCure events held during the year, including walks, galas and golf tournaments. A request for tickets may also be mailed to The NephCure Foundation, 15 Waterloo Ave. Berwyn, PA 19312, Attn: Sweepstakes. Further information on purchasing tickets can be obtained by calling 610-994-9785.

"FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome are incurable diseases that can ruin lives," said Ragan, 25, whose Coca Cola 400 victory at Daytona International Speedway was his first in the Sprint Cup series. "Some 8,000 people are diagnosed with FSGS every year and it is the second-leading cause of kidney failure in children. We are raising money for research so that the answers can be found for these patients and their families." Ragan is an Ambassador for NephCure, working with NephCure on advocacy, publicity and fundraising initiatives with a primary focus on finding patient families who may not be aware of the organization.

Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS are conditions that affect the tiny filtering mechanisms in the kidney. The result is that beneficial protein is spilled from the kidney into the urine and lost. Over time this condition can result in renal failure and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.

The NephCure Foundation is the only organization solely committed to seeking a cause and cure for Nephrotic Syndrome and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Comprised of patients, their families and friends, researchers, physicians and other healthcare professionals, NephCure aims to help science unlock the biological mechanisms that cause these serious conditions and ultimately find a way to cure and prevent them.

Because of privacy laws, The NephCure Foundation has a unique challenge in finding families affected by Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS. Therefore, in addition to fundraising for research, The Nephcure Foundation devotes much of its efforts to identifying patient families. Further information for families or potential supporters can be obtained at the nephcure website.