CHICAGO -

New-car dealers in the Chicago metro area, colloquially known as Chicagoland, recently donated more than $121,000 to the USO of Illinois and local troops.

Seventy Chicagoland dealers collaborated to put on the USO Barbecue for the Troops fundraiser, the mid-July culmination of a month-long fundraising campaign to help support the military.

The Chicago Automobile Trade Association board of directors presented the check to the USO of Illinois during the USO’s Clark After Dark fundraiser last week.

“I feel very proud and honored to lead this association of dealers,” said Mike McGrath Jr., CATA’s chairman. “As a dealer myself, I have a huge sense of pride as I know firsthand the hard work that goes into coordinating these events. We had 70 dealers leading the charge and rallying their individual communities to raise funds and awareness for Illinois troops.

It does not at all surprise me that CATA dealers far surpassed the fundraising goal from last year. What some might not recognize is that dealers are already deeply rooted within their communities and constantly strive to make a difference. The CATA’s partnership with the USO of Illinois is a natural fit and a cause that dealers can appreciate and, demonstrably, fully support.”

The organization’s fundraising goal was $100,000, which it exceeded by over $20,000. The 70 Chicagoland dealer participants hosted their own barbecue fundraisers within their communities. The organization raised $90,000 last year.

“With this generous donation, the CATA has set the bar high yet again and the USO of Illinois is truly grateful,” said Alison Ruble, the president and chief executive officer of the USO of Illinois. “Thanks to the grassroots efforts of 70 Chicagoland dealers that participated this year, funds raised through the USO Barbecue for the Troops initiative will help the USO of Illinois continue to provide vital programs and services that deliver care and comfort to the more than 330,000 military and military families that we serve every year, and send a clear message that our Illinois communities appreciate their service to our nation.”

For more information about the USO of Illinois, visit its site here.