Jimmie Johnson picks first two charities to be featured on his California helmet

CONCORD, N.C. – Victory Junction (Randleman, N.C.) and Zepp Children’s Foundation (Westminster, M.D.) are the first of 12 charities that will be featured on Jimmie Johnson’s race helmet for the Sprint Cup event at Auto Club Speedway in October.

Claire B. Lang, a Sirius NASCAR radio personality, nominated Victory Junction, a camp that enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment.

“I’m proud to be in a sport in which the drivers support a camp that is in the name of a driver we lost (Adam Petty) and helps so many children,” said Lang. “When you go to Victory Junction you never forget it and want to help however you can.”

Sally Zepp of Westminster, M.D. nominated Zepp Children’s Foundation, an organization which serves special needs children, adults and families through grants and resources to enhance their quality of life as well as their families and caregivers.

In nominating this organization, Ms. Zepp says, “Our foundation came about through hearing families express the same frustration and struggles that we faced when coping with a child’s life changing diagnosis. We all want our children to be successful and if we provide them with proper supports starting from early on, we can maximize their current and future potential.”

Johnson and his wife Chandra announced that in conjunction with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation’s 3rd-Annual Golf Tournament in San Diego, Calif., race fans and media members nationwide would have the opportunity to participate in the Helmet of Hope initiative, allowing them the chance to nominate charities which they feel should be featured on the helmet.

Johnson drew the first two winners Friday at Watkins Glen International. Johnson will draw one winner from a list of media submissions and one from a list of fan submissions each race weekend through the New Hampshire event in September. Each winning charity will receive a $1,048 donation in addition to proceeds from the sale of a Helmet of Hope t-shirt.

Fans can nominate their charity or order a T-shirt by visiting www.jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.

For more information about these charities visit:

www.victoryjunction.org and www.zcfcares.org.