Logano finding a charitable side in games near home

For a few moments this week, Matt and Chris Zapel forgot they were sick.

They forgot that at any given moment they could be admitted to lengthy hospital stay as both teenagers -- two brothers from New Hampshire -- were born with Cystic Fibrosis. Although, when you have such a tremendous distraction as a visit from your favorite NASCAR driver, forgetting your struggles tends to become a little easier.

"The fact that we were sick didn't even come up, not once," said Matt, 19. "It was like we were just all hanging out playing video games, relaxing ... but it was with Joey Logano."

Matt and Chris Zapel hung out with Joey Logano on Thursday.

Traveling to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend, Logano, the 18-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver, made a visit to David's House, a charitable outlet that provides a home-away-from-home environment for families with children receiving treatment through the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth in Lebanon, N.H.

Upon his arrival, Logano brought with him two Nintendo Wii game systems, two Xbox 360s and a handful of games, as well as special controllers from his sponsor, GameStop.

The children staying at David's House, along with the Zapel brothers, were elated. No. 1, they had new electronics to keep them entertained. And No. 2, they had an expert gamer to show them new techniques.

"We played NASCAR Kart Racing for Wii and I know we had a conversation but I can't remember really because I was so concentrated on beating him. It was a pretty serious game. We were all into it," Matt said.

The memories Logano left with the Zapel brothers will be talked about for weeks to come.

But for Logano, entering NASCAR's world of charitable acts and philanthropic foundations isn't always going to be upbeat and pleasant. The responsibilities aren't always going to be filled with cheerful ribbon-cutting ceremonies, check presentations in front of a grateful crowd or even the opportunity to shower sick teenagers with gifts.

Being a NASCAR driver, or a philanthropist such as Logano who is in a position to do impactful work, requires expressing true emotion and the ability to display extreme compassion.

As Logano learned for the first time in 2007, it is difficult walking in to a hospital full of sick children and teenagers his same age, struggling with illnesses they may never overcome.

"It's tough to think about," said Logano on his way up to David's House on Thursday. "The first time I had ever walked through the hospital, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. You just try to be as sensitive as you can to the situation. You ask as many questions as you think they can handle but at the same time you don't want to bring it up because you want them to take their minds off of why they are in the hospital."

For a host of reasons, Logano has the capacity to create a comfortable balance for the young people he encounters. His youth, huge smile and curious giggle make Logano the perfect ambassador for the work he wants to carry out with the children's hospital and their partners in the New Hampshire area.

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"I can definitely say that he didn't seem like he was doing it because he had too. He came to David's House with the games because he wanted," Matt said. "It was because of his attitude. He seemed happy to spend time with us. It wasn't just a publicity thing but definitely from the heart."

Matt is a huge fan of Logano's because his brother, Chris, works for Home Depot and GameStop -- but more because he is a driver Matt can relate to since they're only a year apart in age.

"It's cool. I've never been older than a NASCAR driver," Matt said. "But seriously, I've had professional football players visit me in the hospital and NBA stars, but they all kind of intimidate me, made me feel a bit threatened. But Joey, you know, I'm not afraid to say anything stupid because chances are he's going to understand or be thinking the same thing."

Logano has yet to establish his own charitable foundation, but soon enough he will follow the example of the dozens of Cup stars who do. The event at David's House was his first major foray and he hopes to continue to do more with his time and resources.

"You go to these hospitals and realize how lucky you are, and if you're fortunate enough to help them and spend time face-to-face with them then you should," Logano said. "It's neat to be able to do stuff like this and to be able to hear stories like [the Zapel brothers']. It's neat because to me I'm just Joey, but to them I'm someone else -- but someone else that can help them."

Throughout all the notoriety and success that brought Logano to his new home in North Carolina, the young driver, a native of Connecticut, hasn't forgotten his New England roots, which is why he chose to support David's House and the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth.

"New Hampshire is obviously a big weekend for us. It's a little bit of a homecoming for me. I still have a lot of family and friends up here," Logano said. "I've designated these two facilities as my official charities and I want to show them that I support them 100 percent. They do a great job serving the children of New England and I want to help them in any way that I can."

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.