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  • Jeff Gordon and Chase Set Record in Drive to End Hunger

    Jeff Gordon and Chase Set Record in Drive to End Hunger

    Not only did Jeff Gordon, behind the wheel of the No. 24 AARP Credit Cards from Chase Chevrolet, have a record-setting day at the Monster Mile with a third place finish, but he also set a record in his drive to end hunger.

    Through his partnerships with Chase Card Services and AARP, Jeff Gordon and the myriad of volunteers who came out to help him packed a record-setting one thousand meal boxes for the Food Bank of Delaware. And they did it in record time, just over one hour.

    “We’ve got a great partnership with Chase and Drive to End Hunger,” Gordon said. “They’ve really contributed support, awareness and funding for this program through Chase Credit Card Services and through their AARP Reward card.”

    “This program is so rewarding to be able to get people volunteering and to pack food that gets delivered to older Americans that are in need,” Gordon continued. “Yes, it’s pretty cool and it’s a great program.”

    Patricia Beebe, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Delaware, was also impressed with the record-setting meal packing event, especially with the numbers of those that will be helped.

    “We packed one thousand boxes for seniors in less than an hour and fifteen minutes,” Beebe said. “We had super packers and great volunteers.”

    “Last year we did four hundred boxes, so we upped it this year and went to a thousand,” Beebe continued. “These will be distributed to seniors in need throughout the State.”

    Beebe also credited the driver of the No. 24 AARP Credit Cards from Chase Chevrolet as the reason for the record-setting event.

    “Jeff Gordon, I can’t say enough about him,” Beebe said. “He is the nicest person.”

    “He came to the Food Bank, helped pack meal boxes,” Beebe continued. “His celebrity status is a draw for the volunteers and we were so impressed with his humility and his ability to understand what this effort means.”

    “When you have someone like that help what we are doing, his willingness to get involved directly increases our volunteering,” Beebe said. “We can’t say enough about him.”

    “This is an incredible partnership.”

    Scott Lammers, Vice President of Operations for Chase Card Services, was also overwhelmed by the record-setting effort of his team, the race fans and Jeff Gordon. He was also surprised by just how many fans turned out to be a part of the event.

    “We had a little boy here at 5:30 am asking if he could pack meals with Jeff Gordon,” Lammers said. “Chase is so proud to partner with AARP and the Food Bank to make sure seniors get the food they need.”

    Chase Card Services also launched a new effort that will have record-setting impact on the Drive to End Hunger. Their new Chase AARP credit card will also reward the card holders for their participation in the cause.

    “We just launched a new card that is three percent back on restaurant and gas station purchases and one percent on everything else,” Sarah Lammers, Senior Marketing Manager for the AARP Visa Card, said. “We think it’s a perfect fit for the NASCAR population.”

    The new AARP Credit Card from Chase also provides a ten percent discount when redeeming rewards for travel through Chase, extended warranty protections and dedicated, personalized customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    The other benefit of the new credit card promotion is that Chase will try to set a record with matching donations to the AARP Foundation up to one million dollars.

    “We started partnering with Drive to End Hunger in 2011 and have donated $4 million to the cause, which is two million meals, which is very exciting,” Lammers said. “For this year for Drive to End Hunger, we are going to match up to a million dollars.”

    “When you donate to the AARP Foundation, Chase will match up to $1,000 for each donation up to a million dollars in total.”

    Even with all of the record-setting efforts, the driver of the No. 24 AARP Credit Cards from Chase Chevrolet put it all into perspective as he addressed the fan volunteers who had packed the meals in the fastest time ever.

    “You have no idea how far that will go in helping to feed those who are having difficulty,” Gordon said. “This is the greatest program that I’ve ever been a part of in my NASCAR career where I get to talk about a great cause, bring more awareness to it, and get people involved in volunteering and funding.”

    “And on race day, the fans get to come out and actually package meals that will get distributed to those who need it,” Gordon continued. “That’s pretty awesome.”

    To sign up for the new Chase credit card, visit www.aarpcreditcard.com and to donate to the AARP Foundation, go to their website at www.aarp.org.

  • Jeff Gordon, AARP, and Chase Drove to End Delaware Hunger

    Jeff Gordon, AARP, and Chase Drove to End Delaware Hunger

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]As part of his continuing efforts to not only call attention to the issue of senior hunger but also to do something about it, Jeff Gordon teamed up with Chase Card Services and the AARP Foundation to pack 400 meal boxes for the Food Bank of Delaware this past race weekend.

    The boxes that were packed by hundreds of fans of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet held over 4,800 meals that the Food Bank delivered to needy seniors in the area who would no longer have to choose between food and their medicines or paying their rent.

    The fans who packed boxes in the Dover International Speedway on race morning were rewarded with a meet and greet with their favorite driver prior to his running of the AAA 400 at the Monster Mile. Jeff Gordon finished second in the race, keeping his hopes alive for the Chase.

    “We’re excited to be a part of this food packing event for the Food Bank of Delaware,” Michael Rittler, General Manager of Affinity and Retail Credit Cards for Chase Card Services, said. “Partnering with Jeff Gordon, the four-time Cup champion, and the Drive to End Hunger AARP initiative, we are thrilled to be a part of it.”

    “Hunger among older Americans is a huge issue so we’re packing 12,000 pounds of food to be distributed to thousands of seniors,” Rittler continued. “Chase has been partners with AARP for close to 20 years.”

    “Partnering with Jeff Gordon and the NASCAR fans was a great fit for what we are about.”

    [media-credit name=”Photo credit: Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]Chase not only jumped aboard, along with the AARP Foundation, as a sponsor of the No. 24 car, but they also put their money in the game, donating $0.03 to the AARP Foundation Drive to End Hunger for every new credit card account opened through this year.

    Chase even doubled that donation throughout the month of September as part of Hunger Action Month.

    “We’re excited that every transaction, up to $2 million, will help end senior hunger,” Rittler said. “We raised $2 million last year and it looks good again for that amount or more this year.”

    “This is just a great event and we’re proud that so much food will be packed to help local seniors.”

    Patricia Beebe, President and CEO of the Food Bank of  Delaware, was overwhelmed by Chase’s commitment to the effort and also by the generosity of the NASCAR fans in taking time during their pre-race activities to help others.

    “What we’re doing here today is putting together a meal box for seniors,” Beebe said. “These volunteers have made these boxes, which, sometimes takes us hours of volunteer time and effort, so this is such a huge help.”

    “To be able to make so many of the boxes and to inform the community about hunger is a very good event.”

    Beebe shared that 1 in 20 seniors in Delaware are hungry and she thinks that number may be an underestimate, as many seniors in need go undetected.

    “That’s why this event is also critical because a lot of times seniors don’t feel like there is anything for them,” Beebe said. “That’s why events like this show them that there is help for them.”

    “This is a great way to reach so many people.”

    Both Rittler and Beebe acknowledged that having someone of the caliber of Jeff Gordon involved in their efforts to end senior hunger was priceless.

    “Jeff Gordon has name recognition and is someone people look up to and want to listen to,” Beebe said. “People come in droves to talk to him.”

    “I had a chance to talk to him and he knows what’s he’s talking about and he believes in this cause.”

    “We’ve had the opportunity to talk to Jeff about the issue of hunger,” Rittler said. “It’s not just a sponsorship for him.”

    “It’s in his heart and we’re proud to be a part of that,” Rittler continued. “Before we were ever involved in this, I was a Jeff Gordon fan and now I am even more so.”

    As the fans cheered for Gordon after the food packing was finished, Gordon stopped them quickly and recognized them for all of their efforts with the meal packing. He also acknowledged one particular young fan who arrived at the speedway at 5:15 am just to lend a hand to the effort.

    ““I should be thanking all of you for your help,” Gordon told the hundreds of fans gathered to meet him. “So many people are going to benefit and that was a great way to get the race day started.”

    “I think cause-related marketing is the way of the future,” Gordon continued, referencing the Chase fundraising effort. “You folks that care about others, especially with hunger issues, and for Chase to step up, is really what’s going to take this effort to the next level.”

    Gordon acknowledged that he was not only a supporter of the Chase credit card, but he and his wife Ingrid use it regularly, especially with two young, growing children, daughter Ella and son Leo.

    “I’m proud to use the credit card all the time, knowing that a portion of the purchase goes to Drive to End Hunger,” Gordon said. “I think I’m one of AARP’s biggest supporters with that credit card because me and my wife make quite a few purchases, especially having two children.”

    “There are a lot of great causes out there and I’m proud to be a part of this one.”

    For more information about the Chase AARP credit card, visit www.aarpcreditcard.com and for more information or to volunteer at the Delaware Food Bank, visit their website at www.fbd.org.

  • Jeff Gordon Makes Chase a New Partner in the AARP Drive to End Hunger Effort

    Jeff Gordon Makes Chase a New Partner in the AARP Drive to End Hunger Effort

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]While it may be a bit early to talk about Jeff Gordon making the chase for this year’s championship, he has already made Chase a new partner in his AARP Drive to End Hunger initiative.

    Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co., just announced the renewal of its corporate commitment to assist AARP and Jeff Gordon in the effort to end hunger for seniors across the country.

    “Our work with Chase is very important to the AARP Foundation,” Jo Ann Jenkins, President of the AARP Foundation, said. “Nearly 9 million older Americans don’t know where their next meal will come from, so we appreciate the generosity of Chase and the entire NASCAR community.”

    Chase will be sponsoring the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet at five races over the course of the season, starting with the upcoming race at Bristol. The company will donate $0.03 for every purchase made with their AARP Visa Card from Chase, as well as donating $1.00 for each new account opened.

    This new partnership between Chase, Jeff Gordon and AARP will raise up to $2 million total this year, all for the Drive to End Hunger initiative.

    “We’re excited to continue supporting the AARP Foundation through Drive to End Hunger,” Ralph Pinto, Senior Director of Chase Card Services, said. “We are looking forward to having a greater presence through Jeff Gordon and the sponsorship of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet.”

    “Over the course of the five races we are sponsoring, we will have a number of different activities that we are pursuing, all focused on raising awareness of older Americans who are hungry,” Pinto continued. “Some are at track and others will be via email or Jeff Gordon’s landing page, all aimed at gaining the support of the passionate NASCAR fans for this important cause.”

    While their partnership together into NASCAR is relatively new, Chase and AARP have been working together for quite some time. In fact, they have partnered in various endeavors for the past twenty years.

    “We’ve worked with AARP for a very long time and over the course of the past twenty years or so, we’ve looked for different opportunities to work together,” Pinto said. “About two years ago, AARP made this Drive to End Hunger a huge priority for them.”

    “Concurrently, we were looking at our card and trying to revamp the benefits that we were going to be offering on the card,” Pinto continued. “So, we decided that we would look at a couple of various options and one thing that we found was that older Americans were positive about giving to charity.”

    In fact, Chase not only received anecdotal feedback from their customers but also formally surveyed them as well. The study, Chase’s first Generational Giving Survey, found that older Americans give to charities more generously than most other Americans.

    “We conducted a fairly extensive survey and 63% of Americans age 55 plus have donated $100 or more to charity, which is more than those under that age,” Pinto said. “More than one third of older Americans donated more than $500 to charity.”

    “Even from a business perspective, older people will connect and this has basis in fact,” Pinto continued. “So, for us at Chase, this is something we can feel good about.”

    After deciding that donating to charity was an important card benefit to Chase customers, the company had to make the next critical decision, that of choosing the charity that would benefit. And of course, the company’s first thought was of their long-standing partnership with AARP.

    “The AARP Visa Card and the Drive to End Hunger just made perfect sense,” Pinto said. “We are more than happy to jump on that and partner with AARP on this venture. “

    “The Drive to End Hunger is such a great fit for Chase,” Pinto continued. “The partnership is a great way for Chase to give card members something that they’ve asked for—a way to give back, simply and automatically.”

    Pinto is the first one to admit that he was a novice to the sport when he first became involved in the Drive to End Hunger partnership. But while he may have been new to NASCAR, attending his first race at the Monster Mile, Pinto and his fellow Chase colleagues have embraced the sport wholeheartedly.

    “The race was amazing,” Pinto said. “It was absolutely awesome.”

    “I for one was shocked,” Pinto continued. “I went outside our booth and just the noise when they all started up was like a wall of sound. It was the most impressive thing ever.”

    Pinto and his Chase colleagues have been impressed not only with NASCAR and their renewed partnership with the Drive to End Hunger program, but also with their driver, four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

    “The first event we did was at Chase headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware,” Pinto said. “Jeff Gordon came to the event and they brought in his Drive to End Hunger race car.”

    “We packed meals for older Americans and in one hour we packed about 400 meals and sent them off to a local food bank,” Pinto continued. “It was very exciting. Jeff is such a great spokesperson and so believes in the cause.”

    “Jeff is just an absolutely wonderful person to work with,” Pinto continued. “He is very dedicated. He didn’t have to be at the food distribution that we were running but he showed up and was there.  He’s not only a great spokesperson for us but an even better spokesperson for AARP.”

    While Pinto knows that the new Chase card benefitting Drive to End Hunger will be a huge success, he is also now hoping for one other important success.

    “I just hope that Jeff Gordon’s car comes up right in front at the end of the next race!”