MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 11, 2016) – When Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in elementary school in the early 1980s, he didn’t remember wanting to stick around a lot when the day was done. On Wednesday at Jackson Park Elementary School in his hometown of Kannapolis, he didn’t want to leave.

The 13-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver visited the school to present backpacks full of nutritional foods for students over the weekend, visit with the children and staff and talk about what he does for a living. During one such Q&A session, Earnhardt Jr. told the kids how fast his Nationwide Chevrolet can run, earning an enthusiastic “Wow!” from his audience. He also took photos with each of the classes at the school, teachers and city school officials.

The Dale Jr. Foundation (TDJF) supports many charities in its tireless campaign to improve the lot of children in need, and Blessings in a Backpack is one of them. The Dale Jr. Foundation has contributed more than $127,000 to the backpack program at Jackson Park over the years.

In addition to the backpacks, Earnhardt Jr. also presented a surprise $2,100 check toward the purchase of new physical education equipment. Jackson Park students and staff had a gift basket and cards for Earnhardt, Jr., as well, full of JPE mugs, blankets and other goodies.

“It’s always a good feeling to come into a school and make people happy,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I had a great time talking with the kids and taking pictures, and it’s fun to be able to help out. This is what the Dale Jr. Foundation does, and it feels great.”