SONOMA, Calif. -- The Race Tire Development division of Firestone Racing, which in May was presented the 47th BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award, has donated the $10,000 prize to Racing For Kids.

Presented by engineers to engineers, the award recognizes individuals for innovation and engineering excellence in race car design associated with the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

"We were very excited back in May to win the Schwitzer Award and everything it stands for and the acknowledgement of the engineering department of Firestone Racing," chief engineer Dale Harrigle said. "As a team, we thought about what we could do with this award that would really benefit some people and our minds immediately went to Racing For Kids."

In its 24th year, Racing For Kids seeks to use the popularity of motorsports to focus public attention and funding on the health care needs of children. In each IZOD IndyCar Series race market, drivers brighten the day of patients during visits to children's hospitals. Racing For Kids representatives have visited with more than 25,000 patients in almost 500 hospitals through the years.

In addition, almost $6 million has been raised through donations and fund-raising events for children’s hospitals and child health institutions.

"Firestone has been there from the beginning of Racing For Kids and has always been supportive," said former Indy car driver Robbie Buhl, national spokesman for the organization. "This gift is not from the commercial/marketing side, this was driven from the engineering team. A lot of these guys have been to one of our visits over the years at Akron (Children's Hospital), so they've experienced the program and know how beneficial it is to patients and the hospitals.

"It's a testament to the quality of the people who work at Firestone and the commitment to Racing For Kids."

In accepting the BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award, Harrigle and senior compounder Brett Schilling represented the engineers, chemists, compounders and technicians who develop and manufacturer the Firestone Firehawk tire that has proven performance on the high-speed Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.

Firestone tires have been setting the pace at the Indianapolis 500 since Ray Harroun's inaugural victory in 1911, when he drove the Marmon Wasp powered by Louis Schwitzer's Yellow Jacket engine.