Simply put, cars are what NADA members do. But they also generously give back to their communities. The instances below are a sampling of what happens when both intersect, helping to accelerate individuals and local organizations toward success.
Raffles
This spring, Stingray Chevrolet donated a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible for a raffle that raised $360,000 for charity. The annual Corvette Raffle is held at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Fla., each year, with 2022 marking the 13th consecutive year that the raffle has taken place. With the car donated by Stingray Chevrolet, all proceeds were donated to Unity in the Community, an all-volunteer organization that raises money to provide student scholarships and assistance to over 30 charitable organizations in and around Plant City.
More than 450 Oklahomans rolled up their sleeves to donate blood in August at one of the 16 Bob Moore Auto Group dealerships in Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa. And with it, a chance to win a new 2022 Kia Rio.
“We’re so grateful for our long-time partnership with Bob Moore Auto Group, which has provided a vehicle for a lucky blood donor for 22 years now,” says Dr. John Armitage, president and CEO of Oklahoma Blood Institute, which supports inventory for patients at 160 hospitals statewide. “This ongoing gift is invaluable to our organization and their support continues to help us carry on our lifesaving mission for all Oklahomans.”
The Madison (Ohio) School District accepted the donation of a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox LT with all-wheel drive from Classic Chevrolet, Buick and GMC in Madison Township in August. The vehicle will be raffled off to raise funds for improvements to the district’s athletic complex. Ticket sales continue through December. The district hopes to sell 10,000 tickets, generating $100,000 from the raffle.
A 2010 Honda Civic Coupe donated by Harry Green Chevrolet Nissan in Clarksburg, W.Va., was raffled off in July by The Knights of Columbus members of All Saints Parish Father Carroll Council #16494 for local charities. The event raised more than $7,000 in ticket sales with proceeds going to support 1,000 children helped by six local non-profit organizations.
Donations
The Erie Ford Dealers in Buffalo, N.Y., donated a brand-new 2022 Ford Transit van to the Sisters of St. Joseph as part of the Ford Friendship Express program's 25th anniversary event. The program provides an opportunity for organizations in need of transportation to share their stories in hopes of receiving a new Ford van.
"It will be used weekly for picking up soup for our soup kitchen, it will be used for garden supplies and house supplies as well as taking youth and others on educational trips," said Gretchen Gallagher, Sisters of St. Joseph director of gardens and green space.
Students at the Kootenai Technical Education Campus in Rathdrum, Idaho, were thrilled to receive a donation of two 2014 Ford vehicles in November. Donated by Ford Motor Co. and Coeur d’Alene dealership Mike White Ford, the Ford Fiesta and Focus are the highest caliber donations KTEC has received to date.
“We’ve done a lot of collaborative work with KTEC,” says Chelsea White, service manager for Mike White Ford. “We’ve had quite a few students who were great additions to our team.” The car dealership has nine employees who are KTEC graduates.
Heritage MileOne AutoGroup and nonprofit Vehicles for Change teamed up to give Baltimore area veterans new cars. Last month, 10 veterans were gifted new cars at Heritage Toyota in Owings Mills, Md. Over the last five years, Heritage MileOne AutoGroup and Vehicles for Change have given out more than 200 cars valued at more than $1.5 million. Vehicles For Change President Martin Schwartz says it's an honor to be able to help veterans in need.
"To have the opportunity to give back to those individuals who have served our country, have put their lives on the line day-in and day-out for us so that we can do things like, this is just an honor for us," Schwartz says.
Vehicles for Change also trains former criminals and those who are unemployed to become auto technicians. Mile One has personally hired 11 of the school's auto-tech graduates.
MassBay Community College in Wellesley, Mass., has received the first vehicle donation ever given to its new automotive technology program, a van from MetroWest Subaru of Natick. The program provides students with training from entry-level through advanced-level technical education on multiple vehicle makes and models. MetroWest Subaru general manager VJ Donnelly says giving back to community partners like this is not only important to students, but it’s also vital to Subaru clients.
“If you can’t fix cars, you can’t sell them. We want to ensure we have a strong pipeline of well-trained technicians,” Donnelly says.
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