During National Blood Clot Awareness Month in March, Dollar General will match the donation made by NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brian Vickers to benefit Clot Connect, a non-profit education outreach program for blood clots. Dollar General and Vickers will donate $10 for each lap Vickers leads in the No. 20 Dollar General car in March and have each committed to a minimum gift of $2,000.
 “Dollar General's matching contribution will allow us to reach more people with life-saving and life-changing information,” said Clot Connect director Beth Waldron. “We are also grateful for the support of our educational outreach from Brian Vickers, who is an inspiring advocate for clot awareness and Clot Connect.”
 Early in the 2010 season, Vickers was diagnosed with blood clots that forced him to miss the remainder of the season.  During his treatment, Vickers worked with physicians at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Clot Connect who helped him make informed decision on his healthcare and the proper ways to overcome having a clotting issue.
 “It was a battle I couldn’t conquer alone,” said Vickers. “UNC Chapel Hill and Clot Connect together were instrumental in providing valuable information that helped me make informative decisions on my treatment plan.”
 Each year, approximately 600,000 Americans each year are affected by blood clots, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.