Joe Lamphier, vice president of sales and marketing for Crown Automotive Group, said he will be participating in Cut for a Cure to benefit the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Cut for a Cure is the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s annual campaign to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer. Individuals who participate in the campaign set a fundraising goal to encourage their friends and family to donate money, and at the end of the campaign, shave their heads in honor of children who struggle with cancer.

Lamphier plans to shave his head on June 15 and has set a fundraising goal of $10,000, which he hopes to reach by that date. He has dedicated his efforts through Cut for the Cure to honor two individuals he knows who battled pediatric cancer: Dana Bertoch-Levin and Remi Stortch, and their families.

“I’ve supported the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation for many years, serving on the board of directors since about 2001 and serving as its president from 2006 to 2007,” said Lamphier, who is the VP for the 23-store group that has dealerships in Florida, Ohio and Tennessee.

“It’s a cause that’s near and dear to my heart, and I’m honored to be able to have this opportunity to participate in a way that can directly impact the lives of the children and families that the foundation works with each day,” he continued.

Pediatric cancer is the No. 1 cause of death by disease in children, and according to the foundation. Officials said 43 children per day or 15,780 children will be diagnosed with cancer this year.

All the money raised through Lamphier’s Cut for the Cure fundraising campaign will benefit the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and its research initiative, the Sunshine Project.

To contribute to Lamphier’s fundraising goal, visit this website.

All Crown dealerships earn Environment & Safety Elite status

In other news, Crown Automotive Group also recently announced that all 23 of its dealerships across three states have achieved the prestigious distinction of Environment & Safety Elite.

This program was created by the Clean Auto Alliance, a nonprofit organization that comprises automotive businesses, manufacturers, government agencies and dealerships and aims to address environmental, safety and transportation best practices.

The organization said the Environment & Safety Elite distinction recognizes dealers that meet or exceed best practices spanning six environmental and safety categories, including DOT and supplemental programs, emergency response, environmental, hazard communication, loss control and safety systems.

In order to be considered for this honor, officials said the Clean Auto Alliance takes into consideration a dealership's efforts to stay in compliance with regulations from OSHA, the EPA and the DOT.

“We’re incredibly proud of this achievement, and of the hard work we’ve done to make sure all our dealerships reach the high standards set by this program,” said Tim Reid, facilities manager for Crown Automotive Group. “At Crown, we have a commitment to sustainable business practices, and we will continue to strive to exceed the benchmarks set by the Clean Auto Alliance across all our dealerships.”

All of the group’s dealerships earned this status, which is granted for one year to facilities that meet all the requirements.