There are certain people who go above and beyond to change the lives of others. From soldiers who protect our country to individuals who serve as leaders within their communities, Crown Royal is looking to pay tribute to those who are making a difference.

The whisky brand is encouraging adult fans to nominate their personal heroes (21 or older) for naming rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Crown Royal Presents the "Your Hero's Name Here" 400 at the Brickyard.

The race, to be held on July 29, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, represents the ultimate celebration of heroes and will mark the sixth time Crown Royal has awarded race naming rights to an adult fan.

For the past two years, Crown Royal accepted nominations for military and service members exclusively.

Not only has the 2012 race moved to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the annual program—now called "Your Hero's Name Here"—has been expanded to accept entries for all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, from firefighters and police officers, to first responders and local volunteers.

"The expansion of the nomination category gives adult fans the opportunity to honor all men and women who truly make a difference in their day-to-day lives," says Yvonne Briese, VP Marketing, DIAGEO North American whisky. 

"We've been given the opportunity to shine a spotlight on those who unselfishly commit themselves to giving back, and we look forward to seeing one of our heroes kiss the bricks in Indianapolis this summer."

To nominate a hero for consideration for naming rights to the race, fans are encouraged to visit the Crown Royal Facebook page (Facebook.com/CrownRoyal), where they will be asked to describe a heroic act by the nominee in 100 words or less. Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2012 and the five finalists will be announced in May.

Once the finalists are announced, fans will be provided the chance to cast a vote and determine the winner. The winner will be revealed in a special ceremony leading up to the race.

As part of the prize package, the grand-prize winner will travel to Indianapolis for the race, where he or she will be provided an once-in-a-lifetime experience, which will include waving the green flag to signal the start of the race and delivering the trophy bearing his or her moniker to the race winner in Victory Lane.

The race is the culminating event of the Crown Royal Heroes Project, an ongoing commitment to recognize everyday heroes and give back to their communities.

As part of the project, special commemorative CAMO Crown Royal bag stuffing events were held across the country throughout the fall, resulting in thousands of Crown Royal care packages being sent to American troops overseas, with the help of Packages from Home. The Project benefits the brand's two national charity partners, Honoring Heroes and Operation Patriot Foundation.

Crown Royal's ongoing effort to identify deserving individuals kicked off this weekend in Indianapolis, along with various military bases across the country, and will continue throughout the entry period. 

Former NFL standout Warrick Dunn made a special appearance around the big game to call attention to the program and encourage adult fans to nominate their heroes. Dunn has partnered with the whisky brand to honor his own hero – his late mother – a former police officer who was killed during an off-duty security shift 19 years ago.

Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. For more information visit www.crownroyal.com. Crown Royal encourages all fans to please enjoy responsibly.

Diageo produces brands that include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the worldwide leader in motorsports entertainment since it opened in 1909. The facility has hosted the Indianapolis 500, the world's largest single-day annual sporting event, since 1911 and also is the site of the Crown Royal Presents the "Your Hero's Name Here" 400 at the Brickyard and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP.

The mission of Operation Patriot Foundation, Inc., is to pay tribute to those who protect us daily – fire fighters, law enforcement, emergency responders and our active and veteran military forces, and to raise money for organizations representing these men and women who protect us. Operation Patriot Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, please visit www.operationpatriot.org.

Honoring Heroes, also known as The American First Responder Institute of Heraldry, has created nationally recognized awards for valor and heroism in the service of the First Responders' life saving mission. For more information, please visit www.honoringheroes.com.

Packages From Home is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to send care and comfort packages to deployed American military heroes who are stationed in active duty theaters around the world, as well as to facilitate activities that elevate morale of all veterans. Packages From Home was founded in 2004 by Kathleen Lewis and has sent over 130,000 individual care packages and thousands of pounds of bulk mailing to deployed military troops overseas since its inception.