Punch Energy Drink Announces Recipient of Its Inaugural LIVE BETTE...( Founder Zac Workman proudly touts sup...),Health

Founder Zac Workman proudly touts support of Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- While Punch Energy Drink's well-recognized tagline may be "changing the way energy tastes!," Zac Workman, Punch Energy Founder and 21-year-old beverage industry phenom, is equally focused on changing the world we live in ... and he's already making a difference.

In a joint press conference today, Workman proudly announced that the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, and its namesake Mr. Sam Schmidt, will be honored as recipients of the inaugural Punch Energy LIVE BETTER AWARD(R) for 2009.

"The LIVE BETTER AWARD(R) is our way of declaring a heartfelt thank you to outstanding leaders and organizations from across the United States - in widely varying roles and pursuits, but all exemplifying the very spirit in which Punch Energy was founded," says Workman, adding, "Sam Schmidt is the very definition of courage, selflessness and determination, and his tireless efforts on behalf of the physically challenged clearly set a benchmark to which all of us should rise. It's my absolute honor to be allocating both capital and personnel resources to the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, and those they so graciously serve.

Sam Schmidt is most recognized by the public as a former IndyCar racing champion and star of the Indy Racing League, with 27 career starts (including the Indy 500) and both pole and event wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

On January 6, 2000, Schmidt and his IndyCar team were in Orlando, Florida practicing at the Walt Disney World Speedway. As his car exited turn two, it hit the wall with catastrophic impact. Schmidt was airlifted to a nearby hospital in extremely critical condition. The most devastating news was his diagnosis as quadriplegic, the result of a severe injury to his cervical spine.

Even with these life-altering injurie
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