How Michael Jordan, NASCAR owners and teams are joining Hurricane Helene relief efforts
Prominent NASCAR figures around the Charlotte area have been joining Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
Michael Jordan and his 23XI Racing team have made a $1 million donation, which will be evenly split between Second Harvest of Metrolina and the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
The campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord have been open for evacuees seeking refuge. Duke Energy has been using its property to stage lift trucks and crews from multiple states to dispatch where needed to restore power.
“Our hearts go out to everyone suffering from Hurricane Helene’s devastation,” Jordan said in a statement. “23XI Racing and I are honored to support the NC Disaster Relief Fund and Second Harvest of Metrolina as they help rebuild lives, restore hope and ensure that those affected receive the assistance they need.
“While the process of recovery will take a long time, as a proud North Carolinian, I know firsthand the strength and resilience of the people in this state we call home. ... We will get through this together.”
Greg Biffle, NASCAR teams fly helicopters to western NC
As he’s been posting on social media, Greg Biffle has been using his personal helicopter to get supplies to western North Carolina.
Biffle, now 54 and regarded as one of NASCAR’s top 75 drivers of all time, posted on X that three pallets of Starlink satellite systems and multiple generators were donated to people in the region who remained without wireless service.
“This is huge,” Biffle wrote in a post on X. “I’ve seen the impact first hand for 3 minutes of WiFi and I’m so thankful for the connections of friends to be able to get this done.”
Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing have also been flying their helicopters to areas in western North Carolina.
JGR collected water and non-perishable food items at its race shop in Huntersville, and they were loaded onto one of the team’s haulers and delivered to the Asheville area on Tuesday afternoon. JGR posted on social media that it is continuing to accept financial donations online, which should be titled as “Hurricane Relief.”
Hendrick’s aviation team has been flying out to western North Carolina to support hurricane relief efforts since Sunday and plans to continue as long as the critical needs exist. HMS has been working with organizations like Samaritan’s Purse and Atrium Health to distribute resources to the people who need them most urgently, and had trucks, trailers, volunteers and donations at the Charlotte Motor Speedway event on Wednesday.
NASCAR teams are still accepting donations at shops
Several NASCAR teams will continue accepting donations to take to western North Carolina throughout the week.
23XI Racing is accepting hurricane relief donations at Airspeed, the team’s new facility on nine acres of land in Huntersville, through Friday. Donations can be dropped off between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the lobby. Its address is 12311 Airspeed Drive, Huntersville.
The team is accepting the following items: baby formula, baby wipes, sanitation wipes, water, Pedialyte, electrolyte powder and tablets, feminine products, sunscreen, bug spray, first-aid kits, toothbrushes, toothpaste, batteries and deodorant.
JR Motorsports, the NASCAR team in Mooresville owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. that competes in the Xfinity Series, will match all donations.
Supplies can be dropped off in the front lobby of the race shop or retail store by end of day on Wednesday, and the team says it will match all supply donations. The shop’s address is 349 Cayuga Drive, Mooresville, NC, 28117.
Kaulig Racing, the Cup and Xfinity Series team based in Welcome, is also accepting donations. The team encourages anyone who lives nearby — the shop’s address is 105 Austin Lane, Welcome, NC 27374 — to stop by with water, boxed non-perishable food items, tarps and other supplies.
Modified race at North Wilkesboro postponed
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race initially scheduled for this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway has been postponed.
In further support of recovery efforts amid the hurricane, the track in Wilkes County will host a hurricane relief drive and serve as a collection site for the following: Non-perishable food items, cleaning supplies, disinfecting wipes, paper towels, mops, buckets, gloves, bottled water, batteries, portable chargers, hygiene items, diapers and wipes, baby formula.
Donations can be dropped off at North Wilkesboro Speedway (381 Speedway Lane, North Wilkesboro, N.C. 28659) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day this week, through Sunday. Items will be distributed through Wilkes County Emergency Management and Samaritan’s Purse to communities in need.
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 5:30 AM with the headline "How Michael Jordan, NASCAR owners and teams are joining Hurricane Helene relief efforts."
