NASCAR NCS (FORT MYERS, FLA.) - NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Alex Garcia To Serve As Celebrity Judge

Amidst preparations for the 2008 racing season, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Alex Garcia will be traveling south to Fort Myers, Florida this weekend to serve as a celebrity guest judge in the C.A.R.E.S. 2nd Annual Variety Show Challenge.

C.A.R.E.S. (Community Awareness in Recognizing & Educating on Suicide) is a non-profit organization that provides suicide prevention education and offers support to survivors of suicide.

Garcia, owner/driver of the Transnet Racing's 98 Dixien/OmniSource Chevrolet, will join Rejean Germain of Sunset Records and Barry Cavin, Director of Theater at Florida Gulf Coast University, in judging musical performances of local high schools and performance groups competing for a $1,000.00 prize to benefit their drama departments.

The family-friendly event, which raised several thousands of dollars in 2007, will be hosted by celebrity MC Misha McK of the morning show "Wake Up With Misha." Ticket sales, donations, and money raised through an accompanying silent auction will be used to support C.A.R.E.S. education and support initiatives.

Garcia, who became the first Venezuelan to race in NASCAR when he debuted at Mexico City, Mexico in 2007, became involved with the C.A.R.E.S. organization due to the loss of a close friend to suicide. The former open-wheel racer began the transition to stock cars in 2005 before progressing to NASCAR's second highest rated series last year.

"I am truly excited to have been invited to participate in this great event. C.A.R.E.S. is a wonderful organization that was unfortunately founded out of someone's personal tragedy, but it provides help to survivors and educates on suicide prevention, which will hopefully prevent others from having to suffer the same loss."

The C.A.R.E.S. 2nd Annual Variety Show Challenge will be held Saturday, January 12 at 6:00 PM at Cypress Lake High School in Fort Myers. Doors open at 5:00 PM and the silent auction will be held prior to the show and during the intermission. Tickets ($10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children and students) may be purchased by calling (239) 242-1103, or at the door the night of the event.

For more information about Alex Garcia, visit www.transnetracing.com.

For more information about C.A.R.E.S., visit www.leecountycares.org or contact Executive Director Virginia Cervasio at caresprevention@yahoo.com.