FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2012
CONTACT
Jim Dau, 202-434-2560
AARP FOUNDATION ON JEFF GORDON’S HEISMAN HUMANITARIAN AWARD
“The fight against older adult hunger is the contest of a lifetime, and Jeff… hates to lose.”
WASHINGTON, DC – AARP Foundation President Jo Ann Jenkins today released the following statement on Jeff Gordon’s 2012 Heisman Humanitarian Award. Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, becomes the seventh recipient of the Heisman Humanitarian Award, which recognizes people in the sports world who demonstrate notable commitment to helping improve the lives of other people.
“The Heisman Trophy Trust’s recognition of Jeff confirms something we’ve known for a while – that he is as great a person off the track as he is behind the wheel of a racecar. Jeff’s commitment to philanthropy and helping others in need was a critical factor in the decision by AARP and AARP Foundation that NASCAR could be a good platform for our work to help end the problem of older adult hunger.
“Since launching Drive to End Hunger, Jeff has been a committed champion to helping people who struggle to put food on the table. Whether he’s winning races or packaging meals to help hungry older adults, we couldn’t have a better champion than Jeff Gordon.
“While this award celebrates the contributions that Jeff has made over the years, we are particularly excited about what is still to come. There are nearly nine million older Americans who face the risk of hunger. The fight against older adult hunger is the contest of a lifetime, and Jeff – like AARP Foundation – hates to lose.”
Since AARP and AARP Foundation launched Drive to End Hunger, the initiative has donated more than 14.6 million meals and driven corporate and individual donor commitments with an expected value of more than $17.3 million.
To learn more or to get involved, please visit www.DriveToEndHunger.org.
About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people, work more efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is the charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org
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