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Shaw Airmen involved in charity award at Darlington

  • Published
  • By Maj. Mark Meaders
  • USAF retired
Montgomery, TX --  Jim and Monica Sexton of Z-Line Designs donated $35,000 to Operation Helmet for the provision of combat helmet upgrade kits to American troops in harm's way. Every penny of the donation was used to buy and send these kits to troops who have specifically asked for them.

Joe Gibbs Racing  teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch thoroughly dominated Friday night's Royal Purple 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Darlington Raceway by leading all but 19 of the race's 147 laps en route to a stout 1-2 finish.

The two drivers, both representing Z-Line Designs, the designer and import manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture, showed their strength even before the race began. Hamlin in his No. 20 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry took the pole in qualifying, while Busch put his No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota alongside Hamlin in the second spot. It provided a picture-perfect front row, with both Z-Line Designs entries serving as the backdrop for separate $25,000 check presentations to the two charities, Operation Helmet and Racing for Kids, emblazoned on the car's hoods.

Z-Line Designs founder and CEO Jim Sexton and his wife, Monica, presented the donations to Operation Helmet and Racing for Kids. Racing for Kids is a charity founded in Detroit in 1989 that uses the popularity of motorsports to focus public attention and funding on the health care needs of children, while Operation Helmet is a 100 percent volunteer, non-partisan charitable organization headquartered in Montgomery, Texas, that provides helmet upgrade kits free of charge to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Representing Operation Helmet was Mark Meaders and representing Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines everywhere was Senior Airman Joshua Labott of the 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Airman Labott is an explosive ordinance disposal technician who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the recipient of the Purple Heart.

The Operation Helmet logo was on the No. 20 Toyota driven by Hamlin, while Busch's No. 18 machine featured Racing For Kids. The race within the race was whichever driver finished higher, the charity on his racecar would get an additional $10,000 from Z-Line Designs. Call it mission accomplished for Hamlin and Operation Helmet.

"This was a great racecar. When you have a car that drives as good as it did today, it makes your job a whole lot easier," said Hamlin, who has now scored three of his 10 career Nationwide Series victories at Darlington. "I gotta thank Monica Sexton. We won the competition with Kyle. Operation Helmet gives away after-market padding for soldier's helmets. The stock stuff is pretty hard and pretty tough on the guys out there. We wanted to make their jobs as easy as possible."

"We had a really, really fast racecar. Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and the guys did a great job," said Busch, who posted his seventh top-10 in the 10 Nationwide Series races run this year. "I think we were a little bit better than what the '20' (Hamlin) was, but it just shows how pivotal clean air is. He was out front all night."

"It was a great competition between two terrific drivers," said Jim Sexton, who sat atop the No. 18 pit box. "Both guys have won here before, but it was a great thing for the charities since they got some tremendous exposure. That's what it's all about. It really wasn't about winning and losing, but highlighting the charities and getting their message out there and it worked out well tonight."

"Everyone won tonight. We had great exposure for two wonderful causes," added Monica Sexton, who cheered on the No. 20 team. "Everyone had a great time trying to win. Two causes that needed attention certainly got that."

While the 1-2 finish - JGR's ninth in the last 80 Nationwide Series races - brought attention to two worthy causes, it also brought attention to Kevin Kidd, who as Hamlin's crew chief, scored his first career Nationwide Series victory.

"It's just an overwhelming feeling right now to be able to go to victory lane, and particularly to do it at a place like this," said Kidd, alluding to Darlington's 61-year history. "It has as much history in it with great crew chiefs and great drivers who have been to victory lane here. I'm just proud to be a part of that now."

"Within the last week, we received requests for hundreds of kits from US troops headed into Afghanistan and Iraq", said Dr. Bob Meaders of Operation Helmet. "This was a time-sensitive request because once they get in-country and move into combat outposts far out in the boonies, supplies may lag by a month or more. Thanks to the Sexton's, we are able to send over 1,000 upgrade kits. Lives will be saved and missions made more efficient and tolerable using head armor that is protective as well as comfortable. Once again, Great Americans stand up when their Nation calls."

"Monica and I are proud to be able to help in this small way and are gratified to see our fellow Americans keeping our troops in their hearts and minds as they fight to defend our way of life under terribly hard and dangerous conditions", said Jim Sexton of Z-Line Designs. Additionally, Jim and Monica sponsored 30 servicemen and women and their families to a behind the scenes day at the races.