The third annual Willow Gala brought together athletes, supporters, community leaders and families at Skylight at The Refinery in New York City on Monday, August 24. Hosted by CNBC’s Contessa Brewer, the event focused on supporting families facing the emotional and financial challenges of infertility and pregnancy loss. As Samantha Busch accepted the Seeds of Hope Award, she reflected on the foundation she built alongside Kyle Busch and made an emotional promise to continue their shared mission in his honor.

“Accepting the Seeds of Hope Award on behalf of Kyle was incredibly emotional. The Bundle of Joy Fund was born from one of the hardest chapters of our lives and grew into being able to give other couples the chance to become Mom and Dad,” Samantha Busch captioned her Instagram post featuring her speech while accepting the award.

Samantha and Kyle Busch were honored with the Seeds of Hope Award, presented to leaders whose work reflects the mission of The Carlos Rodón Foundation. Through their leadership of The Bundle of Joy Fund, which also partners with the foundation to provide Willow Grants, the couple has helped expand access to infertility treatment for families facing significant financial and emotional challenges.

Samantha accepted the award on behalf of the legacy they built together. The Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund is a nonprofit organization that provides financial grants and support to couples struggling with infertility. The assistance helps families manage the considerable costs associated with treatments such as in vitro fertilization, commonly known as IVF.

The organization was created in 2015 after Samantha and Kyle experienced their own difficult journey toward parenthood. The couple married in December 2010 and soon began preparing to start a family. After months of trying to conceive naturally, they turned to IVF. That treatment eventually brought them their son, Brexton, in May 2015.

When they later decided to expand their family, however, the journey became significantly more difficult. Samantha became pregnant during a second IVF cycle, but the pregnancy ended in a devastating miscarriage. During another attempt, she became pregnant with identical twins through IVF. Tragically, she suffered another miscarriage.

Still, the Busches refused to give up on their dream of having another child. They eventually turned to a gestational carrier to carry their remaining frozen embryo. In May 2022, their daughter, Lennix Key Busch, was born.

Their personal experience ultimately became the foundation for helping other couples navigate similar struggles. The Bundle of Joy Fund has since awarded 178 grants, providing $2,388,784 in funding. Those efforts have helped lead to 111 babies being born, with more on the way.

For Samantha, those numbers represent far more than statistics. They represent families Kyle helped give hope to, making the foundation an important part of the legacy she is determined to protect.

“I pray that in his honor, we can give more couples the chance to experience the greatest gift Kyle and I were ever given, the chance to become mom and dad. We started this together, and with God leading the way, I will continue to carry it forward for both of us.”

How fans honored Kyle Busch after his demise

Kyle Busch’s legacy continued to resonate with fans long after his sudden death on May 21, 2026. Within hours of NASCAR learning it had lost one of its greatest champions, supporters found a meaningful way to honor him.

The Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund quickly saw an outpouring of new donations. Within a couple of days, hundreds of contributions had been made in Kyle Busch’s memory.

Many donations carried messages such as “In Memory of Kyle Busch,” “In Honor of Kyle Busch” and “In Memory of Rowdy,” reflecting the connection fans felt with the NASCAR champion.

Some supporters also donated exactly $18.08, a particularly meaningful tribute to Busch’s career. The numbers represented the two car numbers he carried during different chapters of his Cup Series career.

Busch drove the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing before moving to Richard Childress Racing and piloting the No. 8 in the final seasons of his career. Now, Samantha is continuing the charitable mission they started together, giving fans another opportunity to celebrate Busch while supporting families facing infertility.

The inaugural Kyle Busch Tribute Concert will take place on Wednesday, September 30, at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country in Las Vegas. Samantha Busch and The Bundle of Joy Fund will host the event, which is fueled by 95.5 The Bull and will feature performances by Brantley Gilbert, with special guest Filmore. If you want, you can visit the website to join the waitlist.