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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 Receives AARP Foundation Accolades With Heisman Humanitarian Award

    Jeff Gordon Receives AARP Foundation Accolades With Heisman Humanitarian Award

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR champion driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, not only picked up the Heisman Humanitarian Honor this evening but also the praise of one of his primary sponsors, the AARP Foundation.

    “The Heisman Trophy Trust’s recognition of Jeff confirms something we’ve known for awhile, that he is as great a person off the track as he is behind the wheel of a race car,” Jo Ann Jenkins, President of the AARP Foundation, said. “Jeff’s commitment to philanthropy and helping others in need was a critical factor in the decision by AARP and the AARP Foundation that NASCAR could be a good platform for our work to help end the problem of older adult hunger.”

    “Since launching Drive to End Hunger, Jeff has been a committed champion to helping people who struggle to put food on the table,” Jenkins continued. “Whether he’s winning races or packaging meals to help hungry older adults, we couldn’t have a better champion than Jeff Gordon.”

    “While this award celebrates the contributions that Jeff has made over the years, we are particularly excited about what is still to come,” Jenkins said. “There are nearly nine million older Americas who face the risk of hunger.”

    “The fight against older adult hunger is the contest of a lifetime and Jeff, like the AARP Foundation, hates to lose.”

    Gordon became the seventh recipient of the prestigious Heisman Humanitarian Award, recognizing people in sports who demonstrate notable commitment to helping others.

    “This year, the Heisman Memorial Trust is delighted to add one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history as the seventh name on the list,” Jim Corcoran, Heisman Trophy Trustee said. “The Trust decision to honor Jeff was very easy.”

    “Like the Heisman Trophy itself, Jeff Gordon has created a legacy of excellence both on the field of competition and for the greater good of society.”

    Corcoran said that Gordon was honored specifically for his work with helping children with serious illnesses, through the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation and through his launch of a comprehensive cancer care center in Rwanda.

    “This Humanitarian award is something I’m very proud of,” Jeff Gordon said. “This is truly an honor.”

    “But the award is given to all walks of life and sport,” Gordon continued. “To be a part of this list is something that I never expected and something that I’m very honored by.”

    Gordon joins other Heisman Humanitarian winners, including two Olympians, three NFL players, and an All-Star center from the NHL. Joey Check, an Olympian and philanthropist, was the inaugural winner in 2006, recognized for donation of his gold medal bonus to the Right to Play Organization to help children in need.

    Other winners include George Martin, NY Giants defensive end, who helped those impacted by the 9/11 tragedy; Pat LaFontaine, an NHL great who founded an organization building interactive children’s playrooms; Mia Hamm, world-famous soccer player for her work with the Foundation that bears her name dedicated to helping those with aplastic anemia; William Dunn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star who founded Homes for the Holidays; and Marty Lyons, another NFL great, who became a surrogate father to a critically ill child.

    “This is a big day for me,” Gordon said. “You always want your efforts to be recognized and today this is a very, very proud moment.”

    “It doesn’t get any better than being recognized by excellence, which is what the Heisman is all about.”

    Gordon acknowledged that NASCAR as a sport has enabled him to be so involved philanthropically. In fact, given his sponsor, the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger, he is even more involved in charitable works on and off the track.

    “I feel so privileged to be a part of this sport,” Gordon said. “I think of NASCAR and what it’s given to me.”

    “It’s given me so many opportunities but it’s also given me a great platform and way to give back,” Gordon continued. “I see such a giving community and environment.”

    “Everybody really wants to help and that’s what drove me to start my own foundation,” Gordon said. “And it continues to drive me in ways that I never expected.”

    “My own sponsor, the first ever cause-driven sponsorship, just continues the work,” Gordon said. “This award just solidifies all the efforts that makes my work what it is and takes us to places we never thought we would go to help so many children and to find those treatments and cures.”

    “Life is a journey and racing has been a big part of my journey,” Gordon said. “I’ve been able to experience winning more than I ever thought.”

    “I was thinking how hard we have worked to try to win and put so much effort into it,” Gordon continued. “Yet ten or fifteen years, what it is all going to mean?”

    “Those trophies are nice but they tarnish,” Gordon said. “But when you save a child’s life and you have something as meaningful as this, those are things that stick with you for a lifetime.”

     

  • Jeff Gordon’s Drive to End Hunger Partnership with AARP Extended

    Jeff Gordon’s Drive to End Hunger Partnership with AARP Extended

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]One of the most successful cause-related NASCAR sponsorships to date, AARP’s Drive to End Hunger with four-time champion Jeff Gordon, has been extended.

    The AARP Foundation announced that its partnership with Hendrick Motorsports will be extended for yet another year, taking the 22-race co-primary sponsorship of the Jeff Gordon No. 24 Chevrolet through 2014.

    The extension was due in great part to the success of the Drive to End Hunger campaign, which raised over $17 million in corporate and individual gifts. And the generosity of NASCAR nation, through the Drive to End Hunger campaign, has helped AARP serve over 13 million meals across the country.

    “We are excited to build on the great work of these last two years to help the nearly nine million older Americans who face the threat of hunger,” Jo Ann Jenkins said. “With Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick, we have committed champions behind the wheel on and off the track.”

    “Of course none of this work is possible without the compassion of the NASCAR fans.”

    The commitment of the fans was evident as recently as the past race in Dover, Delaware where NASCAR fans, who packed over 400 meal boxes for needy seniors, were treated to a meet and greet with Jeff Gordon prior to the race, thanks to AARP and Chase Card Services.

    Jenkins acknowledged that awareness from events like this and others over the past two years was another major reason for AARP to extend the Drive to End Hunger sponsorship.

    In fact, the Foundation estimates that it has now reached over 1 billion people, which is more than ever expected when the partnership began in 2010. Through this outreach, thousands have been enrolled in the SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

    The unique partnership between AARP and Jeff Gordon has also recruited and engaged over 30,000 volunteers helping to call awareness and raise funds for seniors in need.

    The driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet could not be more pleased with the sponsorship extension, particularly because he is so passionate about the cause.

    “It has been an honor and a pleasure to be part of Driver to End Hunger these last two seasons,” Jeff Gordon said. “I’m excited to keep pushing in the fight against older adult hunger.”

    “Going around the country – especially during race weeks – I have been constantly reminded about the generosity of NASCAR fans,” Gordon continued. “I got to see race fans reaching for their wallets, packing meals for local food banks, and texting donations to help millions of older Americans who face the threat of hunger every day.”

    “I can’t wait to see what we can do the next two years.”

    In addition to the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger, team owner Rick Hendrick, known for his own many charitable endeavors, was also most pleased with the sponsorship extension.

    “Drive to End Hunger has raised the awareness of an important issue and helped many in need,” Mr. H said. “When the program kicked off, we felt success would ultimately be measured by the number of people the program touched and positively impacted.”

    “It’s been truly gratifying to see that success,” Mr. Hendrick continued. “We’re excited about extending the relationship and continuing the work we’ve started with AARP and the AARP Foundation.

    The extension of the Drive to End Hunger campaign will feature primary paint schemes in 22 Sprint Cup races annually through the 2014 season. This will continue NASCAR’s first ever cause-related partnership, which began in 2011.

    For more information about the Drive to End Hunger campaign, visit .

     

  • 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’s On Track Drive to End Hunger Takes Off Track Twists

    Jeff Gordon’s On Track Drive to End Hunger Takes Off Track Twists

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”196″][/media-credit]With the partnership between Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger initiative heading into its second year on the track, this special promotion has taken some new twists and turns off the track as the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet readies for the 2012 season.

    The first twist on one of the most successful cause-related marketing campaigns in the sport is a new partnership with Quaker State, who has joined the Drive to End Hunger effort by pledging portions of its product sales at Walmart. This new fundraising effort will take place from February 1st to March 31st.

    “We are proud to initiate this cause-related effort to support the AARP Foundation in its quest to help those in need through Jeff Gordon and the Drive to End Hunger,” Chris Hayek, Quaker State Global Brand Manager, said. “By partnering with Walmart, the promotion is elevated onto the national stage.”

    “We’re really thrilled that Quaker State engaged with us,” Jim Nedohon, Interim Vice President for AARP Foundation’s Hunger Initiatives, said. “By allowing us into Walmart, this ensures that we can attract national attention to the need to alleviate hunger for seniors.”

    The idea for taking the Drive to End Hunger promotion off the track and into stores was hatched in discussions between the AARP Foundation and Quaker State right at the track. And it all came about in an effort to elevate Drive to End Hunger to another level.

    “We were at the track talking,” Nedohon said. “My background is in cause-related marketing and we were brainstorming about how to activate our sponsorship of Jeff Gordon in a brick and mortar store.”

    “This is a new opportunity for Quaker State to have a cause related marketing campaign on one of their products,” Nedohon continued. “It developed over a couple of months.”

    “We worked through all the details, such as having a bottle flag with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger car,” Nedohon said. “Jeff is on the bottle and has a relationship with Quaker State as an associate sponsor.”

    “So, Jeff was thrilled to be able to extend his brand to support our cause.”

    The best part of the new twist in the Drive to End Hunger sponsorship is that it furthers the mission of the AARP Foundation, which is to raise awareness about the issue of older Americans who are facing hunger, as well as fulfilling Quaker State’s social mission.

    “Quaker State is very socially oriented and they were totally onboard with helping us execute our mission,” Nedohon said. “It’s one more corporation that embraces the mission that we have to end hunger.”

    “Quaker State could have easily written a check for $50,000 but we are focused together on efforts that have long-term, sustainable impact,” Nedohon continued. “This Quaker State promotion is taking us off the track and into Walmart stores.”

    “This allows people to really take the time to read the materials and it will mean even more to our work at the Foundation.”

    The new sponsorship twist off the track has also permitted the AARP Foundation to make grants to other nonprofit organizations focused on sustainable solutions for ending senior hunger.

    “We sent out an RFP to identify organizations that are trying to address stable solutions to hunger,” Nedohon said. “We had over 750 letters of inquiry and 150 completed applications and awarded ten grants throughout the United States for $1.9 million for sustainable solutions to ending hunger.”

    “Every time we put this effort in a new place, it reminds people about the hunger issue,” Nedohon continued. “And it may even be occurring for someone they know.”

    The second twist on the Drive to End Hunger took place at the recent Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, where a Corvette donated by team owner Rick Hendrick was auctioned off for $700,000.

    “I got to go out with Mr. Hendrick to Phoenix to the Barrett-Jackson auction,” Nedohon said. “It’s incredible because this again is reaching another level of enthusiasts around the automobile industry.”

    “This was a special limited edition Corvette and only 60 will be made,” Nedohon continued. “This was the first one to be auctioned to benefit Drive to End Hunger.”

    “When the bidding started and Mr. Hendrick sweetened the deal by inviting the new owner to Daytona, it just erupted,’ Nedohon continued. “ It went to $300,000 and kept going.”

    “It was just phenomenal,” Nedohon said. “After the auction was finished, another bidder donated an extra $100,000 to the Drive to End Hunger effort.”

    “I can’t tell you how amazing it was to see how the cause resonated with thousands of people watching.”

    While the AARP Foundation is ecstatic about these twists and turns, as well as their partnership with Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick, they have not been completely surprised about the success of their sponsorship.

    “It’s not completely surprising,” Nedohon said of the sponsorship. “It’s amazing to see how many NASCAR fans care.”

    “We’ve found that the NASCAR fans want to know how they can help,” Nedohon continued. “That’s why we’ve been so pleased to support our local food banks at track and now with this new initiative off-track.”

    “It helps when you have partners like Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick,” Nedohon said. “We couldn’t really think of any better partners to help fight this good fight.”

    And for his part, the Drive to End Hunger driver could not agree more.

    “Honestly, I don’t know if 10 years ago I would have gotten behind something like this but with just the experience of life and the things that become more important to you, I’ve gotten into it,” Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger, said. “I feel like it did come at the right time in my career.”

    “We’ve sort of set a trend in NASCAR that will be catching on.”

  • Jeff Gordon’s Drive to End Hunger Takes No Holiday

    Jeff Gordon’s Drive to End Hunger Takes No Holiday

    While Jeff Gordon, as well as the rest of his NASCAR colleagues, may be enjoying Christmas with family and friends, his sponsor, the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger campaign, is taking no holiday.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]“An estimated 8.8 million Americans, 50 and older, are at risk of hunger, including 4.9 million 50- to 59-year olds,” AARP Foundation President Jo Ann Jenkins said. “The holiday season is here but there is no off-season in the fight to help people facing hunger.”

    Earlier this year, AARP became NASCAR’s first cause-based primary sponsor, featuring its Drive to End Hunger on Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The primary purpose of the sponsorship is to not only raise the visibility of the issue of hunger, but also to raise cash and donations in NASCAR venues throughout the country.

    “We have just really enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports as part of our entrée into the NASCAR world,” Jenkins said. “When we really thought about putting this whole campaign together, we said we didn’t want to have partners who didn’t really believe in solving the issue of hunger in this country.”

    “I really believe that we can make a sizable dent in solving this issue, especially for those who are 50 years or older and vulnerable,” Jenkins continued. “So, we entered into this relationship with Jeff and agreed that it was going to be the Drive to End Hunger car because it really was going to be all about ending hunger.  And all of the proceeds were going to go to helping this issue.”

    Being new to the NASCAR scene, Jenkins admitted that AARP were tremendously fortunate to partner with one of the sport’s biggest names.

    “It didn’t hurt that Jeff has won a number of races and that he is the eighth most popular sports figure in this country,” Jenkins said. “He has really embraced this whole cause, doing it not only when we ask him to but when he is talking about his own charities. So, it’s really worked out well for us.”

    The other surprise for the AARP Foundation has been the success of not only raising awareness of the issue of hunger, but also raising dollars that turn immediately into food for those in need. The most overwhelming aspect of the Foundation sponsorship, however, has been learning just how generous NASCAR fans really are.

    “Our goal for this year was to raise awareness and to raise funds,” Jenkins said. “We have tried to gear our awareness campaign to help local nonprofits and soup kitchens get what they need to solve this issue.”

    “So far this year, we have raised over $14 million in commitments, in cash, donations or multi-year commitments from corporations,” Jenkins continued. “Almost 25% of that has come from individual donor contributions which is amazing.”

    “We’ve reached over 123,000 NASCAR fans at our interactive tents at races around the country,” Jenkins said. “Almost 32 million people have been engaged with us in some sort of social media. So, we couldn’t be more happy with the results.”

    “This was our first entrée into the sport and it has exceeded any of our expectations,” Jenkins continued. “The NASCAR fans really understand the issue of hunger and have embraced that.”

    “The first thing they ask is how they can help,” Jenkins said. “Individuals really can make a contribution to ending hunger and I think we’ve hit it out of the ball park with our work with NASCAR and Jeff Gordon.”

    Now that the first season for the AARP Foundation’s Drive to End Hunger campaign is in the books, the AARP Foundation is looking forward to seeing what next year has in store for their partnership with Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports.

    “We’re excited about the 2012 racing season and we’re putting the plans in place as to how we can continue to do what we’ve done in 2011 but engage even more people at the tracks on our platform next year,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to try a number of fundraising events at the tracks and we’re also going to be working with our AARP State offices, getting them to engage in hunger campaigns.”

    “We’re also expanding our partnerships with other nonprofits,” Jenkins continued. “Today we signed off on eight to ten innovation grants going to other nonprofits who think they have a sustainable solution to solving the issue of hunger.”

    “Our goal is to amplify the work of nonprofits and the community in solving the issue of hunger.”

    Although the 2012 season is right around the corner, the AARP Foundation is working especially hard over the Christmas break and off-season to ensure that all NASCAR fans understand that hunger takes no holiday.

    “We are working right now on keeping the message alive,” Jenkins said. “We’re updating our Drive to End Hunger website on a daily basis.”

    “We’re pushing out a new YouTube channel focused on Drive to End Hunger,” Jenkins continued. “We’re engaged in a pilot program in Georgia to simplify the SNAP application for Food Stamps, especially for the senior population.”

    “There isn’t much of an off-season with NASCAR but we’re already engaged with Jeff and the folks at Hendrick with what we’re going to be doing starting early February to kick off the season,” Jenkins said. “We’re excited about it.”

    The message of the AARP Foundation for the holidays is simple.

    “The good thing about this Drive to End Hunger campaign is that each person can make a difference,” Jenkins said. “We know that if we give $1 to a local food bank, they can turn that into $7 in food by purchasing in bulk.”

    “In this holiday season, when so many are in need, people really can make a difference.”

    For more information about Jeff Gordon’s partnership with the AARP Foundation and the Drive to End Hunger campaign, visit .

  • Drive to End Hunger Continues in Charlotte

    Drive to End Hunger Continues in Charlotte

    Speedway Media was present at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte Friday when Jeff Gordon presented the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina with a check for $10,000.  The Food Bank of Metrolina received their $10,000 gift this past spring. This allowed the two food banks to help people in 32 North Carolina counties this year.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel ” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Gordon’s sponsorship by the ARRP’s Drive to End Hunger has been a huge success this season with over $12 million being raised and 3.4 million meals being paid for. The sponsorship has allowed NASCAR fans to help with something that many people were not aware of and that’s the fact that many elder Americans live in poverty and go hungry every day.

    Gordon, who has his own, long established children’s foundation liked the program from its onset. He compared the sponsorship to his long established one with DuPont saying, “With DuPont I had to learn the company, learn the product. I had to learn the people and understand what they do. It took years to go through that process. I love them as a company, what they do.”   “With this,” he said. “it didn’t take five minutes. This is a no brainer, this is easy to get behind for me, for me to understand and say lets go to work. Let’s make this happen.” He mentioned other charities that sponsor race cars as well. “It’s a great cause. Plus, the thing I love is the level they want to reach out there. You see many do one race. Or an organization represented on several cars, but it’s a short time basis. For them to do it for the number of races, and basically be a primary sponsor is amazing.”

    The one thing that Gordon acknowledged was that he doesn’t have as much time as he would like for his own foundation but with this program its different because it’s a sponsor. “It’s a direct message to the fans on Sunday, on television,” he said. “When we win a race it’s a lot more than winning a race. We’re aware that there’s a cause. It’s already been for me something that never stops being involved.”   “When it comes to the foundation work,” he said. “I’m so limited on my time. I’m going back (to Africa, a trip he took alone earlier this year) with Ingrid and Ella, Leo is too young to do that but, I have made time over the years, but I never have as much time as I would like. With this year I’m still able to do things for the children’s Foundation, but every week I’m able to represent the Drive to End Hunger.”   It was obvious that Gordon has many fans that are older. Before taking time out with the media Gordon spoke with a gentleman who offered him words of encouragement. Gordon was very appreciative of the comments and expressed so.

    More information about AARP’s Drive to End Hunger can be found at www.drivetoendhunger.org If you’re going to any of this season’s remaining races there will be displays to allow you to support the program. Pitch in, help out if you can. It is a real problem that we all can easily help with.

  • Jeff Gordon’s Quiet Healing Impact on 9/11 Children

    Jeff Gordon’s Quiet Healing Impact on 9/11 Children

    [media-credit id=18 align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]Ten years ago this race weekend, terrorists attacked the United States resulting in loss of life at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and on Flight 93 that went down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

    For thousands of families, their fathers or mothers or sisters or brothers never came home that day. But for the children who lost their parents, September 11th took away the most important people in their lives.

    Because of the magnitude of loss in New Jersey, a family serving agency began a therapeutic healing arts program to help children in their community who had lost their parents in the terrorist attacks.

    And in one particular healing arts group, primarily comprised of boys, it was soon determined that another bond outside of 9/11 bound them together, their lost fathers’ love of NASCAR racing.

    It was also discovered that the dads who had been killed in the Twin Towers all fancied one particular driver, four-time champion Jeff Gordon, as their favorite NASCAR driver.

    With this information and the connection established, the healing art professionals decided that one of their healing projects would be to have the young boys build pine wood derby race cars in memory of their dads and to honor their love of racing.

    The group worked diligently on their race cars, crafting them and decorating them, many with the No. 24 displayed prominently, as well as plenty of Gordon-like flames. And as they worked, the boys wondered if there might be any way that they could share their projects with their favorite driver, or better yet, get his autograph on their race cars.

    Gordon’s Foundation, then the Jeff Gordon Foundation, was contacted and agreed that they would do their best to get the race cars autographed, turning them around quickly before the first set of holidays that the children would endure without their fathers. The boys packed up their newly-built race cars, with a few notes to share their meaning, and mailed them off to the Jeff Gordon Foundation offices.

    In just a few weeks, a package arrived for the group. It was filled not only with races cars bearing Jeff Gordon’s autograph, but also notes to the children and other memorabilia from the NASCAR champion.

    Gordon’s healing impact on this particular group of children devastated by September 11th, 2001 was palpable. They raced their autographed pine wood derby cars in their fathers’ memories and enjoyed them as special mementos and memories throughout the holiday season.

    “I don’t think there is anybody in this country that will ever forget where they were and what that experience was like on 9/11,” Gordon said. “Just remembering the devastation and those that were lost, especially as much time as I spend in NYC, having a greater appreciation of the impact that it has had.”

    “I sat there I shock like so many others did that day.”

    As the days, weeks and months passed, the children grew and learned and healed. And they began to think of some way that they could repay the kindness of one NASCAR driver.

    When they learned that Gordon and his wife Ingrid Vandebosch became parents themselves, they crafted a special memory box for Gordon’s daughter Ella Sofia. It was presented to the champion at one of his appearances in New York City.

    “Now our world that we live in takes on a whole new responsibility in meaning and pride,” Gordon said. “We want to show how strong we truly are and how this experience has not only made us come together and be a tighter and stronger group and to go out there and show the rest of the world why we’re proud to be Americans.”

    This year, on the tenth anniversary of this tragedy that shook the country, Jeff Gordon will be racing his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger/Chase Card Services Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway. Gordon has already secured his place in the Chase and also in history, with his 85th career win in the sport last weekend at Atlanta.

    But there is no doubt that a group of now young men will be carefully watching as the four-time champion takes to the track for the 400 laps of Richmond racing. And they may just have their own special race cars by their sides, remembering the quiet healing impact of one NASCAR driver.