The Jeff Gordon Foundation: A personal quest
By Liz Allison, Turner Sports Interactive
October 17, 2001
2:33 PM EDT (1833 GMT)
COMMENTARY
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Liz Allison
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Jeff Gordon is known as a tough competitor on race day. A quiet but confident Winston Cup driver aiming for his fourth Winston Cup championship in his eight-year racing career. That's an incredible feat even his critics can't overlook.
Jeff busted onto the Winston Cup scene in 1993 as a young rookie looking to find his place in the sport that he had dreamed of as a child.
He found success early on with his car owner, Rick Hendrick, and his crew chief, Ray Evernham. He also met Brooke Sealy in 1993 who was the sport's "Miss Winston" at the time. He and Brooke would eventually marry after the racing season ended in 1994.
Jeff's career and popularity took off as he was winning races and championships. He was indeed living out his dream until one day he got the news that Ray Evernham Jr. -- the one-year-old son of his good friend and crew chief -- had been diagnosed with leukemia.
This was an overwhelming time for Jeff as he felt the need to do something for children battling leukemia. So he and Brooke along with Mary and Ray Evernham established "Racing For A Reason," a nonprofit organization to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of Ray Jr., who today is in remission and doing quite well.
A few years later, his car owner and by now a very close friend Rick Hendrick was diagnosed with a form of leukemia, CML, that prompted an even deeper understanding of the affects of leukemia and lymphoma. This disease made a lasting impression on Jeff, as he would never forget the impact the illnesses of two dear people had on him.
Jeff's popularity soared, as did the requests for his time and charitable involvements. As Jeff and Brooke did as much as they could for many different organizations their time was quite limited, so they felt it best to establish a foundation that would benefit the charities that they were the most affected by through their own personal experiences.
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Jeff Gordon
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"Racing For A Reason" was near and dear to Jeff and Brooke, but they felt the need to go on an even more personal level. That's why the Jeff Gordon Foundation surfaced. But "Racing For A Reason" still lives on today through Ray and his wife, Mary, and many others who support its efforts.
The Jeff Gordon Foundation was carefully laid out and planned by Jeff and Brooke. The foundation became official in December 1999. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, The Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Marrow Foundation were the first charities to benefit from the foundation.
"This foundation is so special to Brooke and I because we can do it together as a family," Jeff said.
Kathy Boyd was brought in as the executive director in November 2000.
"I had worked with Jeff and Brooke through some other business dealings and we all just seem to have the same vision as to what they wanted from the foundation which was to focus on the needs of children and families," she said. "This is about Jeff and Brooke and their willingness to give to others. They are a team, the two of them and it shows. Jeff and Brooke have big hearts and they just want to help make a difference somewhere."
A difference they have as Jeff and Brooke have since brought on the Riley Children's Hospital in Jeff's home state, Indiana.
"Brooke and I chose Riley Hospital because of their dedication to care for the most seriously ill children in Indiana," Jeff says.
In conjunction with Riley becoming a beneficiary of the Jeff Gordon Foundation, a limited edition die-cast car was made in an effort to raise funds for the foundation, which in return benefits the hospital. The limited edition die-cast car generated over $300,000.
Most recently, Jeff and Brooke supported the September 11th Children's Fund, which benefits the surviving children of flight crews, passengers, Pentagon employees, World Trade Center employees and fire and rescue personal who gave their lives to save others.
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Brooke Gordon
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"This was a way for Brooke and I to help out in a place where some much help is needed," he said. "So many children were affected by the attacks and we just wanted to do something."
Jeff has been awarded for his tireless charitable efforts in the past with the 1996 True Value Man Of The Year Award. In 1998, he was awarded the USA Weekend Magazine's Most Caring Athlete.
And most recently -- and perhaps one of the most special honors to be awarded to Jeff -- is the Chris Greicius Award for Favorite Athlete presented each year by the Make-A-Wish Foundation in an effort to thank a professional athlete for his unending support and dedication for their cause, which is to grant the wishes of children with life threatening illnesses to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
"The fact that a child has one wish to do anything and that wish is to meet me is overpowering," Jeff said.
Jeff will accept this honor at Phoenix International Raceway on Oct. 27 as well as fulfill the dream of two more Make-A-Wish children, which in 2000 fulfilled its 80,000th wish.
All the Make-A-Wish chapters around the country and the national office vote for the recipient of this prestigious award and selected Jeff over many other top name sports celebrities.
"The Make-A-Wish Foundation is honored to have Jeff Gordon as a wish grantor and supporter. This is our small way of saying thanks for all he has done to help our kids," said Kerryann Tomlinson, assistant director of program services for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The Jeff Gordon Foundation has two fund raising events a year in order to raise awareness for the charities involved and funds for the foundation.
The Jeff Gordon Golf Tournament in September in the hometown of Jeff's primary sponsor, DuPont, in Wilmington, Del. And the Jeff Gordon Go-Kart Challenge held in Wilmington, N.C., in November. Jeff recently was a guest player on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," where the $32,000 prize money he won went to the foundation.
There are a lot of successful sport athletes out there making a name for themselves in their arena whatever that may be, but when one man gives of himself unselfishly to make a difference in the world, he should be commended.
Jeff and Brooke Gordon had a dream to form a foundation to give where the giving is needed. They have been successful at achieving just that. The world is a little better place because of the efforts made by two people just wanting to make a difference.
To find out more information on The Jeff Gordon Foundation, log onto www.JeffGordonFoundation.org or the other foundations mentioned above (www.leukemia.org, www.makeawish.org or www.themarrowfoundation.org).
NOTE: Liz's Allison's column appears every Wednesday on NASCAR.com and the opinions listed here are solely those of the writer.
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