Today, during a Google+ Hangout, Jimmie Johnson along with Mike Wells, President and CEO of Wells Enterprises, maker of Blue Bunny Ice Cream, revealed the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope to the five charities that are featured on the helmet. Johnson will wear the helmet this weekend during the Pocono 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, where his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet will feature a special Jimmie Johnson Foundation paint scheme.
“The helmet looks fantastic,” Johnson said. “These are all very deserving organizations. I will wear their logos with pride. Chandra (wife) and I are very proud of the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope Program, and are thrilled to be able to highlight it and the other Foundation programs this weekend. A huge thank you to Blue Bunny for sponsoring the Helmet of Hope program and to Lowe’s for allowing us to run the Foundation paint scheme for the tenth year.”
The Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program allows fans and consumers across the country to nominate and vote on not-for-profit (501c3) organizations that support K-12 public education. Each of the winners was awarded a $25,000 grant.
The 5 charities are:
- 9 Dots in Los Angeles
- BackPack Beginnings in Greensboro, North Carolina
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland in Sioux City, Iowa
- Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
- The Be Kind People Project in Phoenix
“It is always impressive to see so many quality nominations, the thousands of votes cast and the amazing effort by the winning five organizations to rally their supporters for voting to finish as a winner of a Helmet of Hope grant. It will be exciting to see the helmet on the track in what’s sure to be an exciting race,” Wells said. “We are extremely proud to once again support the incredible work and commitment displayed by each of the organizations to assist K-12 public education.”
In addition to the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program, the Foundation also operates the Champions Grant program, which provides cash grants to schools in the Johnsons hometowns and where they currently live; Team Up For Technology, a $48,000 technology makeover open to schools nationwide; and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge, a series of three athletic events in Charlotte, N.C. To date, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation has contributed more than $7.7 million to schools and non-profits across the country.
Jimmie Johnson Foundation PR
