BROOKLYN — Michigan International Speedway, on behalf of Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, today donated $40,000 to the Michigan Science Center in Detroit as part of the speedway’s Michigan Heritage trophy.
“These are the kinds of partnerships that allow (the Michigan Science Center) to expose and inspire young people with STEM throughout greater Detroit and Michigan,” said Tonya Matthews, president and CEO, Michigan Science Center. “We are dedicated to driving the next generation of STEM professionals to their future. Support like this — from the makers and racers of fantastically engineered fast cars — helps us get them there faster.”
The Michigan Heritage trophy is a recognition and celebration of the automobile and its importance to the race track and the manufacturers competing in NASCAR. As part of the Michigan Heritage, each contending manufacturer and MIS annually commit $10,000 to be given to a youth-focused and science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related charity in Michigan.
The trophy is presented to the winning manufacturer in each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. At the end of the year, the winning manufacturer can select a charity of its choice to donate the $40,000. Chevy won both NASCAR Sprint Cup events at MIS this summer and chose the Michigan Science Center as this year’s recipient.
The trophy was designed by Fortress Studios artists Steven Kuypers and Steven McShane, both graduates of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies. The Michigan Heritage trophy is three feet tall, weighs about 30 pounds and features an original sculpture similar to Greek goddess of victory Nike, also inspiration for classic cars hood ornaments from Cadillac, Rolls-Royce and Packard.
The original bronze artwork sits atop a wooden base similar to the architecture of Detroit landmarks such as the Fisher Building and Guardian Building.
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