Progress Rep V6 FINAL Med.Pdf
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The Jimmie Johnson Foundation is dedicated to assisting children, families and communities in need. January 2009 As we compiled this report, it was amazing to see what we have accomplished in the first few years of the foundation. None of this would have been possible without the amazing support of our families, friends, fans, and corporate partners who believe in the work of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. Thank you! The past three years have been championship years, both on and off the race track. Together, we have built places to play and places to live. We have helped save tens of thousands of lives through blood collection and by adding individuals to the National Marrow Donor Program Registry®. We have had the opportunity to grant the wishes of children and adults in need. It has been truly magical. We are thrilled to share that we have contributed more than $1.7 million to various organizations since our inception in 2006. In addition to our work on a national level, we have begun to make an impact in my hometown of El Cajon, CA and where we now call home in Charlotte, NC. We look forward to beginning our work in Chandra’s home state of Oklahoma, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. Thank you again for partnering with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. It truly is the fastest way to make a difference. Sincerely, Jimmie Johnson Chandra Johnson 1 The Jimmie Johnson Foundation made its first grant to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a camp for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The camp was founded by Pattie and Kyle Petty in honor of their son Adam Petty, who raced with Jimmie. The camp provides its services free of charge. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation committed the funds to build Jimmie Johnson’s Victory Lanes, a four lane state-of-the-art bowling center. This 5,100 square foot facility allows children to experience the joy of bowling their first strike in the comfort of a medically safe environment. The grand opening for Victory Lanes took place on March 23, 2007. The anniversary celebration was held a year later. We continue to hear stories of joy that the bowling center brings to campers and their families, and we look forward to returning each year to celebrate. 2 Making Wishes Come True One of the highlights for Jimmie is granting wishes for children and adults. The Johnsons work closely with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Since 2005, Chandra and Jimmie have served on the National Advisory Council. In addition, Jimmie grants numerous wishes at the race track each year. The foundation also hosts an annual Wish Lunch at Hendrick Motorsports to honor requests from a variety of wish granting organizations, including Kids Wish Network and the Dream Foundation. Wish Lunch attendees enjoy lunch with Chandra and Jimmie and a behind the scenes tour of the race shop. “Sam was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in October 2007. When we found out that it might be possible for Sam to attend the luncheon and actually meet Jimmie, he was overjoyed. The luncheon itself was like a dream. It was great to see Jimmie take the time to brighten so many people’s lives. Sam is proudly wearing all of the stuff that Jimmie signed for him…When Sam had his port installed to be able to receive chemotherapy, he also had bone marrow taken from his pelvic area. It was an extremely painful procedure and he couldn’t really walk afterwards. We promised him that as a reward for going through the surgery he could get a new Jimmie Johnson hat. He knew that he would be wearing it a lot over the next seven months when chemotherapy started and he lost his hair. During the months of chemotherapy, watching the races gave Sam something to look forward to. The races We cannot provide our dream recipients are interesting because Sam is rooting for Jimmie with“ a cure right now, but we can dramatically and his dad is a Jeff Gordon fan. As parents, we impact the quality of their lives with the joy of are proud to have Sam be a fan of someone with as making their dreams come true. much class and character as Jimmie Johnson.” ” – Michelle, The Dream Foundation - Susan, Sam’s mom 3 The Jimmie Johnson Foundation is committed to giving back in the Johnsons’ respective hometowns. Jimmie grew up in El Cajon, CA, just outside of San Diego. On the heels of the success of building Victory Lanes, the Johnsons were drawn to projects that allowed them to participate in rolling up their sleeves and being an integral part of the building process. And what better project than to build a home, and hope, for a family in need. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation partnered with San Diego Habitat for Humanity (SDHFH) in February 2007 and embarked on a mission to identify land to build a home in El Cajon, CA. SDHFH has helped 100 local families throughout San Diego County achieve the American dream of homeownership. Ultimately, the foundation and SDHFH identified a parcel of land that would accommodate four homes. In 2007, the foundation contributed the funds to build the first two homes and to assist with the purchase of the land. In 2008, the foundation committed the funds for the remaining two homes. As a result, Chandra and Jimmie had the opportunity to name the newly created street, Foundation Lane. August 26, 2008 was a very special day when Chandra and Jimmie handed the keys to the first family to live on Foundation Lane. The second home will be complete in Spring 2009, and the family has already been selected. The final two homes are Special thanks to our many in kind partners and volunteers who have helped to make these homes a reality. expected to be completed in the Fall 2009. 4 Carol McDaniel Meet our in her own words First Family Carol McDaniel and her three children, Vanessa, Isaiah and Natasha, are the proud homeowners of 481 Foundation Lane. “ It feels amazing to know Carol works for the City of El Cajon Police Department. Her that this is my home… new home allowed her family to move from the apartment I will appreciate every complex where safety and flooding were major concerns. board and nail we put into Carol, her family and her co-workers came out in force to this house and know how provide the 250 hours of sweat equity necessary to complete much it meant. This is a their new home. dream come true. I didn’t know there were people like this. People who just gave so much of themselves to change our lives and give a better future for my children. Thank you so much. ” The McDaniel’s house is 1280 square feet with three bedrooms and 1 ¾ baths. Solar panels, which were donated for the home, will meet 70% of the family’s electrical needs. This is the first home that SDHFH has built with solar panels. The house also has a tankless water heater. 5 Presented by The foundation’s signature event is the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Annual Golf Tournament presented by Lowe’s. The tournament is held each fall in Southern California prior to the race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. In its first two years the event has raised more than $1 million. Proceeds from the event benefit San Diego Habitat for Humanity. The event features more than 250 guests who come from across the country to attend the celebration. The tournament begins with a dinner and auction the night before and has included special musical guests Gavin DeGraw and Nick Lachey. The live auction has featured items such as a Jeff Gordon fire suit, Jimmie’s race winning helmet, a Garth Brooks concert experience, an Auto Club Speedway VIP package, and a fishing trip on a private yacht. Golfers gather the next morning for a day of fun on the course. Celebrity attendees have included: Nick Lachey Jeff Gordon Gavin DeGraw Marcus Giles Brian Vickers Tommy Kendall Casey Mears Skeet Ulrich Juan Pablo Montoya Chris Pronger Rib Hillis Bobby Labonte Rick Hendrick Kyle Petty Vanessa Minnillo Rick Johnson 6 In 2006, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation partnered with the Hendrick Marrow Program and The NASCAR Foundation to create The NASCAR Foundation Annual Blood and Marrow Drive. Held on or around September 11th at tracks and various locations nationwide, the drive helps meet the increasing demand for blood and marrow donors in this country. On any given day, more than 38,000 blood donations are needed and more than 6,000 children and adults are searching for a marrow match on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry® (NMDP). Over the past three years, the potential number of lives saved through the drive has tripled. In 2008, Nationwide Insurance and the Nationwide Foundation joined the drive as title sponsors of the event. ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES. HELP SAVE A LIFE. 2006 2007 2008 % Increase Successes Successes Successes (2006-2008) Participating Tracks 14 24 28 100% Pints of Blood 2,001 3,410 4,417 120% Members Added to NMDP Registry 650 1,031 4,584 600% Potential Lives Saved 6,653 11,261 17,000 155% 7 In 2008, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation introduced the Helmet of Hope initiative. The Helmet of Hope allows fans and media members across the country to nominate their charity of choice to be featured on Jimmie’s helmet. Twelve charities were selected from more than 400 nominations to join Jimmie’s charity of choice, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, on his helmet.