The bill was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives last week to give drivers another option when choosing their license plates. The ChadTough charity may be represented on license plates in the future. Currently, drivers can choose to donate to a charity and have the insignia shown on their plate. There are currently 33 different options for license plates, from state universities to sports teams to disease awareness foundations. The revenue from the license plate options is directed to the organizations by the state treasurer. The bill recommends that the ChadTough Charity be added to the list and that “money be expended on research, technology, patient support, and education regarding pediatric brain tumors”. The ChadTough foundation is named after Chad Carr, the grandson of long time University of Michigan football coach, Lloyd Carr. The family has used Chad’s story to raise awareness about DIPG tumors, which are an especially aggressive kind of pediatric cancer that has not had a change in treatment protocol for forty years. This is the same type of tumor that took the life of Mitch Albom’s daughter, Chika, about whom he wrote his most recent book. DIPG tumors are diagnosed in about 300-350 children each year and are described as “the worst kind of tumor in the worst place”. The bill was read last week and has been referred to the Transportation Committee.
