LONG POND, Pa. -- There's a lot going on with Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Pocono Raceway.
First, the paint scheme promotes the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and features the programs and activities of the foundation, including the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope.
Next is the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope, which Johnson will wear for Sunday's race. The helmet is a program that recognizes education-focused charities voted on by fans to receive a $25,000 grant.
And Johnson will help promote those charitable efforts while heading to the track having just found Victory Lane for the fourth time this season.
"It’s a great time, especially coming off a big win last week and coming to a great track for myself and our Lowe’s team," Johnson said. "And just a quick shout-out to Lowe’s and a sincere thank you that they let us have a paint scheme every year and build awareness and build a program around the giving that the Jimmie Johnson Foundation does. The Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program is a very important part of that."
During a Google+ hangout Friday morning, Johnson, along with Mike Wells, President and CEO of Wells Enterprises -- maker of Blue Bunny Ice Cream -- revealed the Helmet of Hope to the five charities that are featured on it.
The five charities gracing the helmet 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, and The Be Kind People Project in Phoenix.
"To be able to donate $25,000 and raise national awareness for these small charities is something we take a lot of pride in," Johnson said. "And in eight years, we’ve given out over $800,000 to these small charities. So, the success of the program is continuing to grow in leaps and bounds every year and a large part of that is due to what we can do on a Sunday with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation on the side of the race car. Many thanks to Lowe’s for that.”
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. To date, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation has contributed more than $7.7 million to schools and non-profits across the country.
“These are all very deserving organizations," Johnson said. "I will wear their logos with pride."