CONCORD, N.C. -- Wednesday morning, Jimmie Johnson joined retired American professional soccer player Mia Hamm at Charlotte Motor Speedway to help raise awareness for a very important cause: Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Alongside Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina employees and many breast cancer survivors, the two athletes helped paint the pit wall pink to honor those who have and currently are fighting the disease.
"I can say that the NASCAR industry takes great pride in the month of October," Johnson said. "Without having breast cancer immediately impacting my life, myself and the Lowe’s team, we’ve always been quick to be involved and try to have a pink hat or pink on the race car, wherever we can pull it in."
As a BCBSNC customer and partner, Johnson said he was happy to participate in Wednesday's activities.
"I’m a proud member of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina," the driver said. "They’re who I trust with my family and I’ve been a brand ambassador for over 10 years now and I’m just so proud of the great work they do and so honored to be a part of it."
Employees, survivors, Hamm, several NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers and Johnson joined ranks and, with rollers in hand, went to work on the pit wall.
"I promised my two daughters pictures from today," Johnson said. "They’re so excited to know there’s going to be a pink wall at a racetrack."
Johnson said he is trying to teach his daughters early about the disease.
“At 6 and 3 (years old) it’s a little tough to help them grasp all that’s going on," he explained. "I was trying to explain to them about breast cancer awareness and coming to the track and I kind of lost them but then I mentioned we were painting the wall pink and I had both of them back. I still need to bridge the gap a little bit for them but it’s already going to be embedded in their minds from these pink walls.”