GOOD DEEDSCharity Cars Campaign Goes National
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 1, 2006) – It has often been said that the automotive aftermarket doesn’t fix cars – it fixes lives. Customers don’t walk through your doors because their cars are broken; they come to you because you can solve their problems. At a press conference during the recent Industry Week events, the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper (The Alliance) organization announced a national campaign to further this mission.
Last June, we reported on a regional effort spearheaded by Phill Porpora, president of Lee Auto Parts and an Alliance member, that awarded 100 refurbished cars to victims of domestic violence in the Chicago area. For 2007, The Alliance announced it will build on that program and create a national vehicle donation campaign to give victims of domestic violence a new sense of freedom.
“We’ve all talked about improving the image of the professional service dealer,” says Richard H. Morgan, The Alliance’s president and CEO. “I’ve been in this business 46 years and never seen anything like this.”
The entire group of Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper shareholders, along with hundreds of parts stores and certified service centers, has partnered with the original 1-800 Charity Cars organization (Charity Cars, Inc. a 501-C-3 non-profit charity, FED ID #59-3362703) that was organized last year and provided vehicles for domestic abuse victims in the Chicago area. The 2007 program will secure and refurbish more than 500 vehicles to be presented to qualified recipients at ceremonies scheduled in various locations across the nation next year.
Each group in the distribution channel – warehouses, parts stores and service centers – will play its own pivotal role: Certified service centers will donate the labor needed to repair and refurbish the donated vehicles, and the warehouses and parts stores will furnish the necessary replacement parts. All three groups will help solicit vehicle donations from their customers. 1-800 Charity Cars will handle the vehicle donation process.
Steve Marks, senior vice president, Marketing and Advertising for The Alliance, thanked the entire organization for its 100 percent participation from the membership, as well as from its vendor partners who have also pledged support: 3M, ASC Inc., Dayco Rubber Products, Dorman Products, East Penn Manufacturing Co., Exide Technologies, Federal-Mogul, Gates Rubber, Goodyear, Monroe Auto Equipment, Morse Brake, Proliance, Standard Motor Products, Valvoline Oil and Wix Filters.
“I’m so very proud of our entire membership for supporting this program and lending a helping hand. So many times people want to pull themselves up but just don’t have the means – no transportation or no money to get transportation,” says Morgan. “This car giveaway will help families within each community rebuild their lives and start fresh. There’s no better feeling than being a part of that.”
“My shop is pleased to be able to help, especially because the help we’re giving is staying right here in our own back yard,” says Bill Hughes, owner of certified service center Way’s Garage. “My technicians and I are ready to do what we can, from inspecting donated vehicles to getting them roadworthy by donating our time and vehicle repair talents.”
“When we started this program, we knew it was going to be a big job but one that was definitely worth it,” says Vickie Wallace of Parts Warehouse, chairman of the campaign for the Little Rock, AR, shareholder. “As we got farther and farther into the project, I was so impressed by our members who, when asked to, stepped up to the plate by offering donated parts or labor to restore these vehicles to a safe and roadworthy condition. I always knew our [members] were the best – but now I have the proof!”
“The program restores independence to those who choose not to be victims anymore. For our neighbors, it is a hand up, not a hand-out,” says Dale Leigh, 2007 campaign chairman and contributing editor to Motor Age. “When we say we’re good neighbors, we mean it.”
(Source: Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper)
