April 14, 2022—Weirs Buick GMC of Arundel, Maine, has donated $25,000 to the Sanford Regional Technical Center through the Sanford Schools Legacy Foundation, according to an article by the Portsmouth Herald.
Weirs initially helped get the department off the ground before the school opened in 2017 by making a large donation to the Automotive Technology Program.
The aptly named Weirs Buick GMC Automotive Collision Repair Program will help students prepare for a career field in collision repair.
“The whole idea behind wanting to support SRTC started because we have to figure out how we get kids involved in the trades,” says Linda Zuke, Weirs Dealer Principal and Owner in the article. “Staffing is a serious, serious problem here and across the country. I’ve got to do something. I need technicians! We need to feed the tech schools with kids from high school, which then feeds our shops.”
Kathy Sargent, Director of SRTC, relayed the importance of having financial support from companies in the industry, like Weirs. Equipment and supplies can come at a great cost, and having donors helps to mitigate some of that.
"We are extremely grateful for our partnership with Weirs, which has not only resulted in the valuable sponsorship of two SRTC programs, but also in employment opportunities for our students,” Sargent says in the article. “Businesses such as Weirs understand the importance of providing cutting-edge equipment and education to students so that they can become our much-needed workforce of the future."
