Following the devastating tornado in Oklahoma last month, several areas of the state continued to be pummeled by heavy storms and flash flooding, including another round of twisters on Friday, the second in two weeks.

To help dealership employees affected by the deadly storm that struck Moore, Okla., on May 20, the Oklahoma Auto Dealers Association donated $50,000 to the charitable foundations of two dealer groups.

“The outpouring of support and contributions from state and metro dealer associations across the country has been tremendous, and the Oklahoma dealers wanted to step up and help our fellow dealership employees,” OADA president Steve Rankin said.

OADA made an online contribution of $25,000 to the Emergency Relief Fund of the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation and donated $25,000 to the Car Dealers Care Foundation, which is run by the Metro Auto Dealers Association of Oklahoma City.

“We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers and money,” Rankin said. “We’re working hard to start the building process again.”

So far, the Car Dealers Care Foundation has provided 77 dealership employees in the metro Oklahoma City area with more than $100,000, said Peter Hodges, president of the Oklahoma City dealers association.

“We’re grateful to the auto dealers and dealer associations that have contributed to the Car Dealers Care Foundation,” Hodges said.

Providing additional support, the NADA Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund has distributed $36,500 to dealership employees affected by the Oklahoma tornadoes, and has received $42,900 in donations (as of May 31).

Other significant contributions to the NADA Foundation’s Oklahoma relief efforts include:

—$5,000 donations from the Houston and North Carolina dealer groups

—$2,500 from NADA director William Fox (Fox Dealerships in Auburn, N.Y)

—$1,000 from O’Neal Boswell (Sam Boswell Honda in Enterprise, Ala.)

—$1,000 from William Coutts (Peoria Volkswagen in Peoria, Ariz.)

—$1,000 from Robert Bressi (College Hills Honda in Wooster, Ohio)

—$1,000 from David Oakley (Oakley Chevrolet Buick in Bartlesville, Okla.)

Last year, after Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast, nearly 700 dealership employees received more than $500,000 from the NADA Foundation.

Since the Emergency Relief Fund was established in 1992, more than $5.4 million has been provided to nearly 8,500 dealership employees in need.

To apply for assistance or donate, click here.

TrueCar Pitches in to Oklahoma Effort

TrueCar said Tuesday that it is donating $10,000 to assist dealer employees affected by the recent tornadoes that hit Oklahoma.

TrueCar is making a $5,000 donation to the Car Dealers Care Foundation (CDCF), the charitable arm of the Metropolitan Oklahoma City Auto Dealers Association; and also donating $5,000 to the Emergency Relief Fund of the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of NADA.

Both groups are providing direct assistance to automotive dealership employees affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma.

“Throughout America, car dealers and their employees are an important part of a community which support and sponsor organizations in their area,” said Pat Watson, vice president of industry relations for TrueCar.

“We are hopeful that our contribution will help dealership employees and their communities more quickly achieve a sense of normalcy,” Watson added.

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