2016 Conti/Austin Hatcher Auction

The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer's long-running relationships with the motorsports and automotive industries are being highlighted at the outset of the 2016 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) season, as Continental Tire has facilitated an on-line auction fundraising initiative that will run from Jan. 29 until February 27.

Continental Tire, an official partner of IMSA and sponsor of the organization's popular Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge production-based series, is auctioning off 13 original paintings by noted motorsports artist Bill Patterson. All of the paintings are from the official "Continental Tire Art By Bill Patterson 2016 Calendar." The brightly-colored works are oil on canvas, 24 inches by 36 inches.

Bids on the paintings can be submitted on-line at www.hatcherfoundation.org/conti beginning January 29, 2016.

The auction will launch alongside the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener, the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31. One-hundred percent of auction proceeds benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation.

"This is a wonderful way to start the year, partnering with Continental Tire and being in synergy time-wise with Daytona and Sebring," said Austin Hatcher Foundation President Amy Jo Osborn. "Bill Patterson's artwork perfectly captures the appeal of sports-car racing, putting the multi-colored excitement of the sport on canvas with a remarkable flair. We expect this auction to be very popular, getting our 2016 fundraising efforts off to a rousing start."

Patterson, the official artist of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California, will sign his 2016 calendars during the Rolex 24 weekend at Daytona International Speedway. He will be at the Continental Tire display on Friday, Jan. 29 (10-10:30 a.m. and 12:15-12:45 p.m.), Saturday, Jan. 30 (10-10:30 a.m. and 12:45-1:15 p.m.) and Sunday, Jan. 31 (1:00-1:30p.m.).