Wendy Smith understandably has a lot on her mind these days.
“I was just diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer and this is the third time I’ve had to deal with breast cancer in the last seven years,” Smith told Greenville, North Carolina TV station WCTI.
But even with her own battle, Smith is the kind of person who cares about others.
That’s why she plunked down $25 of her own money to buy a raffle ticket for a fundraising effort put on by the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Foundation.
Sure, the winner would win a brand new 2015 Chevrolet Corvette, but Smith spent some of her own hard-earned money to help others.
It was because of efforts such as Smith’s that Junior’s foundation sold 8,888 tickets, raising nearly $225,000 through the raffle to help underprivileged folks, particularly kids.
So, Smith was at her desk as an IT specialist for the city of Greenville one day recently when her phone rang. There’s nothing unusual about that; she answers numerous phone calls every day.
But this call was very, very different.
On the other end of the line was Kelly Earnhardt Miller, Junior’s sister and overseer of her brother’s foundation.
“She said, do you know why I’m calling?” Smith recalled of what Miller said to her.
Smith replied to Miller, “Well, I hope you’re calling to tell me I won the car.”
Miller responded, “Well, actually, I am.”
At that point, Smith understandably exploded with joy, saying, “No way!”
Yes, way.
Smith drove to Mooresville, N.C., where JR Motorsports is based, and was given the keys to her spectacular new ride, which sells for about $65,000.
Oh yes, and she also got to meet Junior himself. And to top it off, Junior offered to pay all taxes and fees associated with the car so that Smith owned it totally free and clear.
“Unbelievable,” Smith said. “I don’t know how else to say it. You know, things like this just don’t happen to me.”
It proved good things do happen to good people, and Smith’s co-workers would be the first to concur.
“We were so happy because we thought it couldn’t have been given to a more deserving person,” Smith’s friend and co-worker, Colleen Sicley, told WCTI.
Click here to see the original interview and story by WCTI.
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