Joey Gase, NASCAR Driver and Donor Son to Honor Jonathan “Mr. NASCAR” Merritt

Joey Gase is racing in the MoneyLion 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, April 27th, 12 p.m.

Gase’s mother, Mary, died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in April 2011.  Just 18 at the time, Joey made the courageous decision to donate her organs and since then he has become a huge advocate for organ donation.  Joey will be driving in the April 27th, MoneyLion 300.  The Donate Life Alabama logo will be prominently displayed on the hood and a picture of Jonathan “Mr. NASCAR” Merritt, an organ, eye and tissue donor, will be pictured on the TV Panel of the Donate Life AL Car.  Merritt’s family will be attending the race on Saturday, April 27th, cheering on the Donate Life Alabama car, knowing that John’s tragic death helped others through organ, eye and tissue donation. 

Jonathan “Mr. NASCAR” Merritt was a race car driver himself and raced at many tracks including the Talladega Short Track.  Merritt was a generous, loving family man who would give you the shirt off his back and his last dollar to someone in need.  He always helped everyone!!  It is not surprising that Merritt’s family made the generous decision to donate after he was killed in a tragic accident since organ, eye and tissue donation was in keeping with how he lived his life.  “John had a sweet heart of gold and a genuine soul.  You never saw him without a smile!!  He adored his racing, but always made sure his family was his number one priority,” states Merritt’s family.  

Join us for a car signing event –
Get Your Name On!

DATE: Thursday, April 25th

TIME: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: UAB Women and Infants Center, 2nd Floor Atrium

DETAILS: Come by, meet Joey and sign your name to a handprint that will be place on the Hood of the Donate Life AL Car for the MoneyLion 300 this Saturday

You can register your decision to make LIFE possible and be an organ, eye and tissue donor at www.LegacyofHope.org.

Approximately 56% of the U.S. adult population is registered organ, eye and tissue donors, 35% percent in Alabama. Yet the number of people in need of transplants continues to outpace the number of organs donated. Nearly 114,000* people are waiting for a transplant and a second chance at life. On average, 20 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time. That is almost one person dying every hour. Registering your decision to become a donor is the most effective way to save lives through donation and is a sign of support to those who continue to wait.

*Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of April 22, 2019
 
About Legacy of Hope:
Legacy of Hope, Alabama’s Organ & Tissue Donation Alliance, is a non-profit organization federally designated to evaluate and procure deceased donor organs. Founded in 1979, Legacy of Hope is a mission-driven organization that builds broad-reaching alliances to educate people about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation, and inspire them to become donors. Visit LegacyofHope.org