Lowe’s, Habitat for Humanity and Jimmie Johnson build home at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Six-time champ didn’t claim victory on the track at Kobalt 400, but placed first in the hearts of future Habitat family
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 10, 2015) – Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson swapped out his racing helmet for a hard hat this past weekend and teamed up with longtime partner Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas to raise the walls of a new home at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Nearly 100 Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers joined Johnson and his pit crew to frame a four-bedroom Habitat home that will be transferred to Henderson, Nevada, and completed in partnership with a local family. Throughout the weekend, Lowe’s and Habitat gave race fans at the track the chance to sign up for a future Habitat build and encouraged them to enlist the help of a friend or family member to multiply their impact.
Before stepping into his No. 48 Kobalt Chevrolet SS for the Kobalt 400 on Sunday, Johnson presented the family with the key to their new home.
“I can’t think of a better way to have kicked off race weekend than raising the walls on Friday and celebrating with the family today,” Johnson said on Sunday. “It’s just amazing to see what happens when Lowe’s and Habitat team up.”
“There’s a great need for affordable housing in Las Vegas, across the country and around the world,” said Colleen Finn Ridenhour, deputy director for Habitat for Humanity International. “We’re grateful to have the support of Lowe’s and Jimmie Johnson to help us build a home and raise awareness of the need for volunteers to help us in our mission. As we ramp up construction activity this spring, volunteers will be critical to our success in revitalizing communities and helping families obtain the dream of homeownership.”
Lowe’s has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for more than a decade to build homes and revitalize communities around the country. Since 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than 63 million to Habitat and helped nearly 4,000 families improve their living conditions. Anyone interested in volunteering can learn more at Habitat.org/Lowes. “We’re proud to help Habitat Las Vegas continue its transformational work in Southern Nevada,” said Larry Edens, market director for Lowe’s Las Vegas stores. “We hope this extraordinary build inspires race fans to support Habitat projects in their own communities.”
About Lowe’s in the Community
Lowe’s, a FORTUNE 100 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed nearly 200 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a path out of poverty, since 1976 Habitat has helped more than 5 million people through home construction, rehabilitation and repairs and by increasing access to improved shelter through products and services. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and offers a variety of housing support services that enable families with limited means to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org.