The Mercury News

Jimmie Johnson’s work off track has been impressive

- By Jenna Fryer

NASCAR’s nicest guy will run his final race this weekend and close a remarkable career that ranks among the best in history. The mark Jimmie Johnson has made off the track deserves equal celebratio­n.

Johnson is widely recognized for his record-tying seven Cup Series titles and 83 victories. That on-track success gave him a platform to make an immeasurab­le impact on communitie­s dear to his family.

The Jimmie Johnson Foundation to date has donated more than $12 million through a variety of programs and grants, many aimed toward K-12 public education. The generosity of Johnson and his wife, Chandra, has purchased technology, built playground­s and outdoor learning centers, created wellness programs and much more.

A $52,000 grant given to Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord in 2017 was used to purchase 3D printers. When the pandemic began, the students used the printers to make 400 PPE face shields and mask extenders for healthcare workers. The school later received an order from Atrium Health for 2,000 more.

Loch Lomond Elementary School in Virginia in late 2019 won a $48,000 grant from Johnson for increased STEM activities. Among the items purchased were iPads and Chromebook­s, technology it was able to loan to 150 students who could not access virtual learning during the pandemic.

Johnson has partnered with Habitat for Humanity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and created the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Fit Fest, a community event designed

to encourage outdoor activities for children via trail runs, mountain biking and a Spartan Kids Race.

“We knew in the beginning that children would be our focus but we wanted to keep it broad enough to help communitie­s in need, as well,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “Chani has a love of the arts and has always had a watchful eye on arts-related programs. I have a watchful eye on the physical fitness projects. There are things that we look for, but we really try to give help where it is most needed.”

It started as a small gesture to help schools in California and Oklahoma, where Johnson and his wife grew up, and in North Carolina, their current home. It has evolved into a multilayer­ed program that has awarded 134 grants, aided 131 different charities and completed nine technology makeovers.

Lori Kiesser of Inside the

Outdoors, a science education field trip program, said an award her group received in 2016 transforme­d the program’s social media presence and created a partnershi­p with the Fontana Unified School District.

Kiesser noted her grandson, Brennan, attends a Title I school in Southern California where children struggle to envision future opportunit­ies. The award from Johnson has made it so her grandson “has no trouble imagining himself as part of NASCAR, whether it is working for a team or being part of the next generation of fans.

“We saw the (award) and the partnershi­p with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation as a pathway to ensuring that the young people Inside the Outdoors serves – no matter where they were from – could imagine any future that they dared to dream,” Kiesser said. “Education is essential and the fact that Jimmie, his family,

and his foundation, invest in it speaks to the measure of the person that Jimmie is.”

Johnson, the father of two young daughters, is committed to setting a good example and has been encouragin­g his children to find their own volunteeri­ng causes. But his commitment to kindness goes far beyond monetary donations.

As he heads to his final race Sunday as a full-time NASCAR driver, the 45-yearold Johnson is still raising funds for his causes. Fans can currently win Johnson’s 2021 Chevy Camaro through a raffle, and Jimmie Johnson Foundation visors several drivers wore last month at Kansas will be auctioned off this week.

Johnson set new standards on the race track but ultimately deserves equal recognitio­n for the person he was outside of his No. 48 Chevrolet. His motto, he said, is being himself and letting the chips fall where they may.

 ?? CHUCK BURTON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Jimmie Johnson helps assemble care packages for the North Carolina USO during a news conference in 2019. He will retire from NASCAR after Sunday’s Cup race.
CHUCK BURTON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Jimmie Johnson helps assemble care packages for the North Carolina USO during a news conference in 2019. He will retire from NASCAR after Sunday’s Cup race.

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