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2004 will be remembered as one of the worst hurricane seasons in the USA. First came Charley and then Frances hit. Before anyone had time to clean up, Hurricane Ivan tore through...then Jeanne!

The people along the Gulf and East Coasts of the USA were devastated by the storms. Homes were evacuated, possessions lost and in some cases there was no house left standing in the wake of the storm.

In response to the hurricanes, Lowe's Monte Carlo drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch began "Racing for Relief" to generate funds for disaster relief efforts. For every lap they finished in a series of races, Lowe's agreed to donate funds to the Red Cross. Matching donations by caring Nascar fans add to the money available to rebuild homes and lives.

For every lap that Johnson completed in the 400-lap NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Richmond Lowe's donated $48 (Johnson’s car number). Busch is with team 5, so for every lap that he completed in the 200-lap Busch Series race at Richmond, Lowe's donated $50.

"Racing for Relief is a way for me and my team to get the word out about how people can help after the devastation of Hurricanes Charley and Frances," said Johnson who has been involved in the Red Cross for two years. "It's been a tough month for those folks so we are doing everything we can to help. Florida is a huge racing community and this is our way of showing support."

In addition, Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet carried a special decal on the rear deck lid (trunk) and hood supporting the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Racing for Relief is a program first introduced in April of 2000. That year Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Mike Skinner joined "Racing For Relief" to generate funds for areas devasted by disasters including the victims of the deadly tornadoes that hit the Fort Worth, Texas area in April, 2000.

"I was so glad Lowe's and our race team were able to help the victims of the Texas tornadoes...," Skinner said. "When I helped deliver supplies to the disaster area in Fort Worth, I saw first-hand the devastation these events can cause and how traumatizing they can be to families. But I also witnessed how much our intervention meant to the people affected. A little bit really goes a long way."

The program has helped disaster relief efforts for hurricanes, tornados and floods, raising more than $350,000 to date.

Anyone interested in donating to the fund may go to any Lowe's store along the Gulf or East Coasts or make an online donation at www.lowes.com. Or you can just click on the Red Cross emblem at the top of this page to make an online donation.

Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish).

Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

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