SALT LAKE CITY, UT — JULY 1, 2022 — In the mid-1990s, after meeting his future bride, Virginia’s Randy Johnson reformed his troubled life and took to the ‘straight and narrow.’
“It’s not something I shout from the mountain tops, but I messed up pretty bad in my teenage years. When I finally met my wife, she got me back in church. So I occupied a pew for several years,” he says.
But Randy wasn’t content taking up space on a pew. He was searching for something more, some way to give back to the larger community and make the world a better place.
“One day I prayed at the altar and told the lord I wanted to serve. I said, “Lord, here I am. Let me know how you want to use me.””
Three weeks later, on May 4, 1999, he turned on the television to catch the news while getting ready for work, and every channel was reporting the same story: a powerful F5 tornado, with 300+ mile per hour winds, had torn through Oklahoma, devastating portions of Oklahoma City, it’s suburbs, and numerous towns to the south. The incredible storm, dubbed the Bridge Creek-Moore tornado, destroyed thousands of homes and killed 36 people during its 85-minute rampage.
“I decided to take that as a sign,” says Randy. “I just felt in my spirit that here was where I wanted to help.”
Out of his experience helping provide relief after the storm, God’s Pit Crew was born, an international non-profit disaster relief organization dedicated to helping devastated families get back on their feet after facing Mother Nature’s wrath. Over the next 23 years, Randy’s non-profit would provide relief following more than 158 natural disasters, delivering tractor-trailer loads of critical products – from clean drinking water and Gatorade, to paper products, food, and more – to thousands of people struggling to rebuild their shattered lives.
One of their key relief donations is dubbed a “Blessing Bucket,” a five-gallon bucket filled with all the essentials to help a disaster victim bridge the gap between the destructive event they’ve lived through and longer-term solutions. Each bucket contains towels, food, water, toiletries, a bible, and basic first aid supplies. God’s Pit Crew distributes around 30,000 Blessing Buckets every year.
Unsatisfied with their plastic baggies of bandages and medicines in their normal Blessing Buckets, a serendipitous introduction by Xfinity driver Jeb Burton between Randy and Alsco Uniform’s Brandon Divers led to a productive solution. Both God’s Pit Crew and Alsco Uniforms proudly sponsor Jeb’s car and team, and admire both Jeb’s driving and his work ethic.
“Jeb is one of the hardest working racecar drivers I’ve ever seen,” says Randy. “And he works extremely hard for his sponsors. We love his passion, work ethic, and dedication.”
Brandon Divers was deeply moved by his visit with Randy, and wanted to find a way for Alsco to help. So he got involved, traveling with the God’s Pit Crew team to Brandon, Kentucky to help victims of a recent tornado and watch the organization in action. “That was certainly a humbling experience,” he says.
The need for better first aid kits was evident to both Brandon and Randy, so Brandon went to work putting together the perfect solution. Since then, Alsco has provided more than 20,000 of their 72-piece first aid kits for blessing buckets distributed around the world.
“I see our role as not only to be a good partner in terms of helping with first aid kits, but also to help bring awareness to the God’s Pit Crew cause, and the organization,” says Brandon. “They are a free organization, with a lot of supporters and volunteers. I think everybody can jump on board this cause.”
“When you watch the news that constantly highlights all the negative in the world, it’s nice to be a part of something positive that makes a real difference,” he says. “I think that’s great for both me personally, and for Alsco.”
“Brandon and I have become great friends,” says Randy. “It’s amazing how he’s handled himself and represented Alsco so well. We are very grateful for his friendship. It has helped us to make a tremendous difference in the lives of people affected by natural disasters all around the world.”
Alsco is a proud sponsor of Jeb Burton Racing, and a proud partner of God’s Pit Crew. We wholly support the God’s Pit Crew team and their mission to bring disaster relief to those most in need.
To get involved, visit www.godspitcrew.org
About Alsco
Alsco is a fifth-generation family-owned and operated uniform company founded in 1889 and recognized by the prestigious Hohenstein Institute for having invented the uniform rental industry. Celebrating over 130 years of business, Alsco provides uniform laundry services and other products that keep businesses clean and safe for all kinds of customers in the healthcare, automotive, industrial and hospitality industries. With more than 180 locations and 17,000 employees, Alsco provides laundry rental services to over 355,000 customers in 13 countries, which makes Alsco Uniforms the largest uniform company in the world. Visit alsco.com to learn more about how Alsco Uniforms is the industry’s best-kept secret.
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Contact:
Ben Fox
Director, Sales & Marketing
Alsco – International Head Quarters
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