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| December 11, 2006 News |
| Taking Care of Our Own: Ken Johnson Support Update |
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 | | Ken Johnson |
As many of you may know, especially those who count themselves as part of the growing Rotax Max community, one of our fellow karters was seriously injured in an automobile accident while attending the Rotax Grand Finals in Portugal. Ken Johnson, a long-time racer and freelance karting photographer and journalist, was involved in a serious car accident while traveling back to Porto, Portugal from the Grand Finals wrap-up party, hit by a drunk driver. Ken’s injuries were substantial and included broken ribs and severely bruised lungs, bad enough to put him into ICU in a Porto hospital. Ken is improving every day but there is still a long way to go. At this point, we are all hoping that we may be able to get him back into the United States by Christmas. However, we are going to need the help of the karting community to make this happen.
Thankfully, many members of the American karting community stepped up very quickly following the news of the accident and via EKN’s forums, a call for monetary help was made as Ken’s wife Kayla made the trip to Portugal to be with her husband.
At this time, several programs have been put in place within the karting community so that we can show our support. First and foremost, a formal account has been set up at the Bank of America so that anyone who wishes to donate money to help the Johnsons will have an avenue to do so. Direct donations can also be made through PayPal. The following are the instructions needed to make a proper donation. Any donation amounts will be greatly appreciated during this time of need. The outpouring of support by the community has already been invaluable but we really need to step up to help them with travel costs and the time away from work. It is up to us as a community to make certain that they can get through these hard times without having to worry about financial issues.
 | | Ken attended this year's Rotax Grand Finals on behalf of RACER Magazine |
Direct Deposit at any Bank of American Branch:
1. Make checks payable to “Cash”
2. On back of check indicate: “For Deposit Only Account # 488003539679”
3. Note “For Johnson Medical Fund”
Donations may also be made directly through PayPal:
1. Log into your PayPal account at http://www.paypal.com
2. Select the ‘Send Money’ tab
3. In the Recipient’s email, put kenjohnsonfund@yahoo.com
4. Enter the amount you wish to donate
5. Select U.S. Dollars as Currency
6. Category of Purchase should be Quasi-Cash
7. Email Subject: Ken Donation
In addition, the Rotax Max Challenge organizers here in the U.S. have organized a 4-hour Enduro for Saturday, January 13 at Moran Raceway with a portion of the proceeds going to Ken Johnson, who is the program’s Official Reporter. The ‘Ken Johnson Raffle’ has also been initiated with prizes including a CRG Kali 125 roller (donated by SSC Racing), a Rotax DD2 engine (from Rotax), Gatorz sunglasses and subscriptions to FormulaCar Magazine. Anyone wishing to donate to the raffle is asked to contact Joe Ramos Jr. (jr@sscracing.com). EKN will also offer up a $1600+ yearlong advertising package on the website through a special industry-only raffle. We’ll have more information on the raffle in the very near future.
 | | As the leader of the TaG Enduro movement, Johnson won this year's IKF Troy Ruttman Award for the preparation of his Emmick laydown |
Lastly, Andy Seesemann of the Gatorz Karting Cup will be donating $10 from every entry at his season opener (January 20) to the cause. Donations will also be accepted for those that wish to help. While this race is still over five weeks away, it will help provide the Johnsons with the continuous support they will need for several months due to the severity of Ken’s injuries and the tremendous time that they will be away from work.
Ken and Kayla have been following the thread of well wishes on the forum and Kayla has been keeping us all updated on Ken’s progress. If you would like to send your best wishes, please feel free to post.
http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=51991
Despite being based on hardcore competition, the karting community is truly a big family and it is our hope that you will also make a contribution during this holiday season to help out a fallen member of our family who truly needs us at this time. Please do what you can, even if it’s just a little. If we all pitch in, the end result will be very special.
Respectfully,
Rob Howden
Publisher
eKartingNews.com
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