Even though he retired in 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has managed to remain in the public eye for more than a couple of reasons. Be it his media empire or broadcast duties, Junior has been one voice that can be relied upon to give that one thing the NASCAR fans want – his honest opinion. Because one thing that has remained constant throughout his career has been his honesty; the other is giving back to the community. This is where the Dale Jr. Foundation comes in.
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The Foundation was started in 2007, right in the middle of Earnhardt Jr’s career, and has only gone from strength to strength since then. In fact, in a career that has made him millions on and off the track, it is this venture that the two-time Daytona 500 winner counts as the one he is most proud of.
Everything you need to know about the Dale Jr. Foundation
As per the official website, the foundation has raised more than $11 million to benefit charities that directly impact the community, schools, and fellow citizens in need. Dale Jr. serves as the President and his sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller works in the capacity of the Vice President.
Important to the organization are the ‘Five Areas of Giving’ – Empowerment, Education, Wellness, Hunger, and Hope – that provide the broadest of outlines of where it operates.
In his own words, “Each charitable organization focuses on areas that are important to me, like kids, schools, and the underprivileged. I started The Dale Jr. Foundation as a way to help the underdogs, those who haven’t caught the breaks that I was lucky enough to catch.”
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The foundation can also be seen during some races, like at the Bristol Motor Speedway last year, where the likes of Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, and Alex Bowman supported a fundraising attempt by auctioning off race gloves with autographs. In March this year, Earnhardt Jr. paid a visit to Allenbrook Elementary School in Charlotte, a place where he donated $135,000 in 2020 with Unilever, for a book reading session of his own children’s book, “Buster’s Trip to Victory Lane”, further illustrating his involvement with his projects.
Joey Logano’s “generational legacy” take perfectly fits Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Defending NASCAR Cup champion, Joey Logano recently sat with Kenny Wallace and talked about how the legacy of a NASCAR driver is much more than what the driver does on the track. Logano said, “No one’s gonna care who won the championship, and years down the road, it’s just gonna be a stat in a book… So if you can impact somebody’s life in a positive way, that’s generational.”
By every measure, Earnhardt Jr. has given back to the community in ways in which not many drivers, past and present, have. And perhaps this is the reason why despite not winning a Cup Series championship in his career, Junior is still one of the most well-respected drivers in the sport and one whose legacy will outlast many who have and will come after him.
