Rick Hendrick has had to battle through some hard times. He has overcome a battle with leukemia and lost his only son in a plane crash. In the same plane crash he lost his brother, his twin nieces and fellow Hendrick Motorsports employees. Is it humanly possible to heal from such a series of unfortunate, life-altering events?
"I've always said without my faith and my family I would go nuts," Hendrick said. "On a good day you feel guilty that you're not thinking about them and then on a bad day you wish you could think about something else."
One branch of Hendrick's charitable efforts includes the Hendrick Marrow Program, established in 1997 to support those suffering from leukemia and other blood-related issues. In 1999, Hendrick was honored with The Marrow Foundation's Leadership for Life Award; fitting for a man who continues to be a leader in life as well.
In 2004 in honor of Hendrick's brother John, the Hendrick Foundation for Children was created improving the quality of life for thousands of sick children around the country. This week Hendrick donated $1 million to a small community college in Matthews, N.C.,. Through his contribution, the campus dedicated its new automotive training center -- Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology -- to Hendrick's late father. And this fall, through the foundation's more than $3 million worth of charitable donations, a pediatric intensive care center inside Charlotte's Levine Children's Hospital will be named after Hendrick's late son, Ricky.
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