3/29/2009 - Las Vegas, NV
At the 2009 Monster Jam World Finals Banquet, Charles Benns was honored as the Monster Jam “Humanitarian of the Year” for the second year in a row!
Charles has spent the last year since winning his first award working on his usual activities like cutting off his hair last April for locks of love, “an organization that helps kids who suffer hair loss”, and raising money to help orthopedically challenged kids at his beloved Carrie Tingley Children’s Hospital in Albuquerque. Charles and Team Pit-Bull has helped raise around $12,000 in the last 6 months alone! They want to make a difference!
He also took on some new things like Summerbash 08′ at Kirtland Air Force Base, Valencia County Animal Rescue, and the very special Make a Wish foundation!
At Summer Bash at the Air Force Base, Charles took his monster truck down to hang out with the families and kids of soldiers serving overseas, and to thank the ones that are here! “Soldiers are my heroes” Charles.
The Valencia County Commission declared October 4th as “Pit Bull Day” in recognition of the work that had been done on behalf of educating the public about this misunderstood breed, and helping the animals. The day was used to crush cars, make friends, and raise monies for the shelter!
Charles met some really special kids from the Make a Wish foundation over the year and really wanted to do something big at his hometown show for them! Charles got a motorhome with the help of some good friends, and he took it to his hometown Monster Jam after it had been painted up real nice for Make a Wish on one side of it, and Carrie Tingley Children’s Hospital on the other! He wiped it out and obliviated it in front of a sold out crowd in his home town. To him, those smiles and cheers from those kids are better than any award or anything else in the world! It was an awesome night, and a true demonstration of how Charles truly care about these kids! “His kids”!
Charles signs over all his hometown checks from his shows to the kids at Carrie Tingley, but the motorhome was his way of saying thank you to an entire town that has really embraced him as their guy! It was really and truly “for his fans”!
In the words of the World Freestyle Champion Damon Bradshaw- You don’t do any of this stuff for a plaque or anything, but it is nice that somebody cares!
Charles wanted to recognize his team and all of their personal sacrifices they have endured so he can give away the money. They have made his charity work their charity work as well! Charles fully acknowledges his team and he always says he would be nothing without them!
Charles is very humbled by this award and recognition, and it only makes him do more! HE WILL!
