Sanford, N.C. — Gospel music singer and radio host Yolanda Adams and NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson will be in Sanford for the re-opening celebration for the Lowe's home improvement store on Sept. 8, the company announced Thursday. 

The image of the flattened Lowe's was one of the more memorable and widely-broadcast pictures of the dozens of storms which claimed 24 lives across the state of North Carolina on April 16. Employees were hailed as heroes for ushering customers to the back of the store to safety.

Lowe's transferred all 160 workers from the Sanford store to other stores across the region, providing transportation for them to Pittsboro, Cary, Fayetteville, Chapel Hill, Southern Pines, Smithfield, Clayton, Erwin, Apex, Mebane, Laurinburg and Durham.

The grand re-opening event will begin with a breakfast for city leaders. Adams will broadcast her syndicated morning show live from the store. Johnson will meet with the media that morning, but not be available to the public for autographs. 

From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., there will be food and entertainment, including performances from Chairmen of the Board and the Lee County High School marching band, in the parking lot of the store. 

When the reconstruction is complete, the store will have 103,000 square feet of retail sales space, with an adjacent 34,000 square-foot garden center. All 160 employees are expected to return.