Lowe's and Jimmie Johnson Race for Relief; Johnson Driving Supports the American Red Cross
WILKESBORO, N.C., Sept. 22 -- In response to Hurricane Isabel, Lowe's and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Jimmie Johnson Raced for Relief at Sunday's Dover, DE race to raise money for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
Lowe's donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross at the beginning of the Dover 400. Plus, for every lap that Johnson completed, Lowe's donated an additional $48 (Johnson's car number), for a total of $69,200.
"Racing for Relief allowed me the opportunity to pitch in and lend a hand, while doing what I do best -- driving," said Johnson, driver of Lowe's Team 48 car and member of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet. "I'm glad I can do my part to support the American Red Cross and the people affected by Hurricane Isabel."
Lowe's introduced Racing for Relief in April of 2000. To date, the program has raised more than $156,000 for disaster relief efforts including hurricanes, tornados and floods.
In addition to Racing for Relief, all Lowe's store will serve as official cash donation sites for the American Red Cross. Online contributions for the American Red Cross will be accepted at Lowes.com and Lowesracing.com. Lowe's has committed to matching funds up to $50,000.
"Money raised by Racing for Relief and the Lowe's customer donation program will help the American Red Cross provide disaster victims with basic emergency needs -- food, shelter, clothing, replacement mediation and mental health services -- following Isabel and thousands of other disasters throughout the year," said Terry Sicilia Senior Vice President of Disaster Services, American Red Cross. "We will be able to provide immediate assistance to disaster victims because of the financial support companies like Lowe's provides to us."
About Lowe's
Besides the American Red Cross, Lowe's is a proud supporter of the United Way of America, Habitat for Humanity International and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation awards more than $1.5 million annually to individuals and organizations across the United States. Lowe's also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe's Heroes program, a corporate-wide employee volunteer program addressing unintentional home injuries. Lowe's, a Fortune 100 company with sales of $26.5 billion, has more than 900 stores in 45 states. For more information, visit Lowes.com.
About the American Red Cross
Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross is a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 chapters and Blood Services regions dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by 1.2 million volunteers and 30,000 employees, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to families affected by more than 67,000 disasters, trains almost 12 million people in lifesaving skills and exchanges more than a million emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products to more than 3,000 hospitals across the nation and also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts at locations worldwide.
