Just days before competing in the Daytona 500, Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, visited Chisholm Elementary School in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
After reading a short story to the students, Jones and The Erik Jones Foundation partnered with AdventHealth to unveil and donate a “Bookworm” vending machine to the elementary school. This machine rewards students for positive behaviors, as they earn special tokens to redeem for books they can keep.
“I want these machines to inspire kids to read and continue reading. That’s the ultimate goal,” said Jones. “Being a strong reader is important to unlocking doors and helping young people live up to their full potential. I couldn’t be more excited to partner with AdventHealth to deliver another book vending machine for some well-deserving kids.”
Jones believes strong reading skills help young people learn and get ahead in life. As an avid reader himself, he believes this has played a pivotal role in his success. In his childhood, Jones read the autobiography of Jeff Gordon, which taught him a lot about racing. Today, he continues to prioritize reading.
When Jones established his foundation in 2021, he made “igniting a passion for reading” part of its mission. Book vending machines have become a signature part of his community efforts after Jones purchased one for his former elementary school and the school saw a 300% increase in the number of children who chose a book as their reward for being good students.
“Reading opens doors, fuels imagination and builds confidence — there’s nothing better than seeing a child light up over a book. Seeing the excitement on these kids’ faces as they realize they will get to pick out their own book and keep it? That’s priceless,” said David Weis, president and CEO for AdventHealth’s operations in east Volusia, Flagler, and St. John’s counties. “We’re proud to partner with Erik and his foundation to bring this book vending machine to Chisholm Elementary, and we hope it fuels a lifelong love of reading.”
This is the third book vending machine donated to a Volusia County School (VCS) through this partnership. The other recipients include Blue Lake Elementary in DeLand, Florida, donated in February 2024, and Discovery Elementary in Deltona, Florida, donated in December 2024.
Jones got behind the wheel of the No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE in the 67th running of the Daytona 500 on February 16, 2024, marking the first of nine races he will drive in the Advent- Health-sponsored car. Jones’ first victory in the NASCAR Cup Series came at Daytona International Speedway in 2018.
“We are incredibly grateful to Erik Jones and AdventHealth for their generous donation of a book vending machine to Chisholm Elementary,” stated Carmen Balgobin, Ed.D., VCS superintendent. “This contribution not only provides students with access to exciting books, but also reinforces the importance of reading and literacy in their daily lives. Partnerships like this help us encourage a love of reading at a young age that sets the foundation for lifelong learning.”
AdventHealth serves as the Official Health Care Champion of Volusia County Schools, a first-of-its-kind partnership between a school district and major health care provider. Through this partnership, AdventHealth is committed to assisting the school district with reducing chronic absenteeism, streamlining and coordinating the care of student athletes, and creating more pathways for students to enter directly into health care related jobs following graduation.
AdventHealth | April 2025
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