Outreach/Philanthropy

ADESA president John Hammer is serious about helping with the fight against type 1 diabetes. He notes that about 40,000 people in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with the disease, “potentially impacting some of our employees, customers, and their family members," he said.

“That’s why we take our fundraising partnerships with Emkay and the Ford Global Action Team seriously,” he continued in a news release. ADESA and those two partner companies raised $210,546 in support of type 1 diabetes research funding organization JDRF last year. Together, these partnerships have raised more than $1.5 million since 2011 for JDRF, which describes itself as the largest charitable supporter of type 1 diabetes research.

“It’s with their support and the generosity of our customers and employees that we are able to make a significant impact on funding for diabetes awareness and research,” Hammer said.

That’s good news for JDRF, which has a research mission to discover, develop, and deliver advances that cure, better treat, and prevent type 1 diabetes.

Many individual ADESA auction locations have been involved in the project. During a nine-month campaign between March 1 and Nov. 30, 2018, EMKAY and ADESA each made matching donations generated across 21 participating ADESA auction locations. This campaign raised $67,220 for JDRF, taking the seven-year fundraising partnership total to $334,220.

Individual auction locations have also taken the fund-raising efforts to a friendly-rivalry level. A group of the auctions compete each year for the honor of raising the most money for JDRF. The ADESA Buffalo location in Akron, N.Y., led the 2018 results with $35,997 raised overall.

In 2018, the Ford Global Action Team’s involvement helped result in some serious fundraising power in the fight against diabetes. That year, ADESA and the Ford Global Action Team hosted special fundraising events at six ADESA locations in support of JDRF. That campaign collected $143,326, increasing the seven-year fundraising partnership total to $1,173,831.

ADESA is serious about other charitable causes, as well.

For the eighth consecutive year at the NADA Show, ADESA will host a charity auction benefitting the NADA Foundation and Canine Companions for Independence. This year’s auction item is a Yamaha golf cart. The auction will take place at ADESA’s booth (#621 South) at 1 p.m. on Jan. 26, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

NADA noted that to date, ADESA’s auctions at the NADA Show have raised $384,000 for the NADA Foundation, which supports Canine Companions.

Breast cancer research organization Susan G. Komen has used various fundraising methods to acquire funds toward its mission of saving lives and ending breast cancer. It’s latest method: Digital license plates.

Reviver Auto, creator of the Rplate digital license plate, and Susan G. Komen of Los Angeles County have partnered to create a Susan G. Komen-branded digital license plate that will help raise funds to support the organization’s mission.

Susan G. Komen of Los Angeles County and Reviver announced on Monday at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show that the partnership will also enable the activation of digital Susan G. Komen logos for interested Rplate consumers who wish to contribute to, and display their support for, the organization. 

Neville Boston, Reviver Auto co-founder and chief executive, said the ability to generate DMV-approved digital cause plates individually by consumers is a key feature of the Rplate. Because it is digital, the Rplate can simplify the cause plate process for charitable organizations and the DMV while allowing consumers to more easily support their favorite organization. 

Reviver notes that the stamped metal license plate has been around for 125 years. The Rplate transforms that plate into what it describes as a “sleek, digital, high-definition display” that it says will offer new efficiencies and benefits.

The Rplate’s connected car platform will soon automate DMV renewals, replacing legacy stickers with digital decals, and add new levels of personalization to the license plate, including promoting charitable causes such as Susan G. Komen of Los Angeles County, passion for a sports team, or even a child’s academic/athletic achievements via DMV-approved personalized messages (such as “Support Our Troops,” “God Bless America,” and “I’d Rather Be Running”). 

As part of the partnership with Susan G. Komen of Los Angeles County, specific Rplates will be sold in California with Susan G. Komen of Los Angeles branding and messaging. A portion of each sale will be donated to Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County. Reviver Auto will participate in events with Susan G. Komen to raise awareness about the organization, while Rplate users can proudly support the cause on their plate. 

“At Susan G. Komen we are always looking for ways to expand awareness and increase our opportunities to further our communities’ access to healthcare. Funds raised through the Rplate will help us do that,” said Mark K. Pilon, executive director of Susan G. Komen, Los Angeles County, in a news release.  “Being on the cutting-edge of the digital revolution is an important way for us to reach our community, and working with Reviver Auto enables us to not only raise funds with a much more efficiently implemented cause plate, but also to make our message more digitally mobile.” 

The Rplate launched onto California roads in mid-2018 under pilot and anticipates expansion into new states in 2019. The use of digital license plates is fully authorized for Arizona; legislation has been passed in Texas and Florida, with Washington State passing legislation to conduct a digital license plate study. 

The Rplate is available in California through participating auto dealerships, pro shops such as Al & Ed’s Autosound, and for preorder at the Reviver Auto website, www.reviverauto.com.  Consumers who are interested in a Susan G. Komen-branded Rplate or adding a Susan G. Komen logo will be able to order online directly from Reviver Auto’s website.

The Jim Ellis Automotive Group wants everyone who comes to one of their showrooms to be in a giving mood like company leadership.

Jim Ellis is again partnering with the Marine Toys for Tots program, but the relationship has been amped up a few notches with the automotive group offering the chance to win gas cards and a grand prize shopping spree to individuals helping the dealerships bless children at Christmas this year.

All 17, Jim Ellis family owned and operated dealerships in Atlanta, Buford, Kennesaw and Marietta serve as collection sites for Toys for Tots and will be collecting toys through Dec. 15th at close of business. Each year, the Jim Ellis dealerships also partner with the Metro Atlanta Automobile Dealers Association (MAADA) as the association works with Toys for Tots to equip each of the Jim Ellis dealerships to serve as collection sites for this program.

The public can get involved in this initiative by bringing a new unwrapped toy to any of the Jim Ellis dealerships. These donations will go to make the holidays brighter for children in the surrounding communities in the hopes that every child will receive a gift this holiday season.

“Our Jim Ellis dealerships partner with MAADA and Toys for Tots year after year and have great success in collecting toys for children in need,” said Jim Ellis Automotive Group president and chief executive officer Jimmy Ellis. “This year we wanted to step things up a few notches and really make our customers and the local communities surrounding our dealerships aware of this initiative and how they can get involved.

“Christmas is a time of giving, and we want to do our part to make sure all children in our communities are blessed during the Christmas season,” Ellis continued.

As a way of saying thank you to individuals who contribute at one of the Jim Ellis locations to the Toys for Tots campaign this holiday season, the first 25 people who make a toy donation at each location will receive a $10 QuikTrip gift card.

Every customer that makes a qualifying toy donation during normal business hours through Dec. 15 will be entered for a chance to win a $2,500 shopping spree. Each toy donated qualifies as one entry for the chance to win the shopping spree.

Full contest details can be found here.

According to the Toys for Tots website, the organization was started in 1947 by the United States Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks when his reserve unit in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to children in need. The program has expanded throughout the years and today donates an average of 18 million toys to less fortunate children each year.

The Jim Ellis partnership with Toys for Tots is made possible by the MAADA, an organization made up of hundreds of franchised dealers from the 18-county area surrounding Atlanta. MAADA’s pre-existing relationship with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has allowed Jim Ellis Automotive to be part of this exciting opportunity each year.

“The Metro Atlanta Automobile Dealers Association, comprised of over 140 franchised new car and truck dealer-members, believes very strongly in supporting efforts that improve the lives of the citizens of our community. That commitment to community service is especially important when it comes to helping Metro Atlanta’s less fortunate children,” said J.W. Southwick, director of marketing and social media at MAADA.

“The Holiday Season is one of joy and celebration, but some parents struggle to make ends meet and that takes away from their ability to put gifts under the tree for their kids. For the tenth consecutive year, the dealers of MAADA are proudly supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots campaign by serving as toy collection locations,” Southwick continued.

“Nearly 900,000 toys were collected during the 2017 campaign, and we’re hoping to help the Marines blast past the million-toy mark for this year’s drive,” Southwick went on to say.

As a new partner of the Jefferson Awards Foundation (JAF), KAR Auction Services has plans to recognize employees for their volunteer endeavors and dedication to community service early next year.

KAR announced Thursday that it will honor up to six employees who have been nominated by their co-workers to be a  2019 JAF national honoree.

One of the six nominated KAR employees will represent the company at the annual JAF national ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Giving back to the community is one of KAR’s core values, and something we take very seriously in the areas where we work and live,” KAR chief executive officer and board chairman Jim Hallett said in a news release. “We know that KAR employees are active in their communities in many ways, donating their personal time for local organizations who rely on volunteers. I look forward to celebrating our employees who give back in such meaningful ways and personally thanking them for making a difference.”

It was over two decades ago, in 1972, that JAF was established by former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former Sen. Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard, who has created and chaired programs for seven U.S. presidents.

Each year, JAF honors exemplary volunteers from across the country for the selfless work they perform, as well as the influence that they have on others who join them in their communities. The organization has recognized over 61,000 people since its inception, according to KAR.

“We are thrilled to partner with KAR Auction Services and welcome them into our Champions program,” said JAF CEO Hillary Schafer. “By celebrating outstanding service with employees who impact their communities, KAR Auction Services is setting an incredible example for organizations across the country and will impact lives for years to come.”

AutoNation announced Thursday that it has proposed a $300,000 matching grant to help combat homelessness across the Southeastern Florida area that is home to the company’s headquarters.

Until Dec. 31, AutoNation said it will now match up to $300,000 in donations made to the United We End Homeless project started by Broward County business leaders. The joint initiative is led by United Way of Broward County, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and the Broward Business Council on Homelessness.

“We are challenging the members of the Broward Business Community with a matching grant because we care about quality of life for our current and future residents, and the homeless individuals themselves,” chairman, chief executive officer and president at AutoNation and co-chairman of the Business Council Mike Jackson said in a news release. “We must do more to create a home for all.”

For months, the three agencies in charge of the United We End Homeless initiative have been working together to create a strategic multi-faceted approach to finding solutions that can end chronic homelessness in Broward County, according to AutoNation.

“Through the collaborative efforts of a strong and thriving business community, we are determined to find real-life solutions to this humanitarian crisis,” said Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. “We are confident that our business leaders will follow AutoNation's lead by providing the financial support we need to end homelessness."

Phase one of the United We End Homelessness initiative includes providing permanent housing units and ancillary services for the chronically homeless and later the expanding permanent housing solutions throughout Broward County, AutoNation said.

“We are very grateful to Mike Jackson and AutoNation for their leadership role in this initiative,” said Kathleen Cannon, president and CEO of United Way of Broward County. “Broward County is lucky to have corporate citizens like AutoNation who are willing to invest in the future of our community.”

In an effort to meet a $25,000 fundraising goal that will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, NextGear Capital is gearing up to launch a week-long national charity initiative on Monday.

NextGear Capital announced Thursday that a dollar from every car purchased at 22 participating U.S. auctions located across the country will be donated to the Memphis, Tenn.-based children’s research hospital as part of its first-ever “National Charity Week.”

“Supporting communities in which we work and live is one of our core values,” NextGear Capital senior director of community relations Patty Turner said in a news release. “I am excited to see this new initiative come to life and work with both our auction and dealer clients in communities across the nation. Our clients share our values of community support, and we look forward to working together.”

The 22 auctions participating in the company's six-day charitable promotion for St. Jude include:

• 1st Choice Auto Auction, Houston, Texas
• Akron Auto Auction, Akron, Ohio
• All Valley Dealer Auto Auction, North Hollywood, Calif.
• Alliance Auto Auction of Dallas, Dallas
• BA&W Enterprises - San Antonio Auto Auction, Live Oak, Texas
• Capital City Auto Auction, St Albans, W.Va.
• Columbus Fair Auto Auction, Columbus, Ohio
• Crosspoint NW, Portland, Ore.
• Greensboro Auto Auction, Greensboro, N.C.
• Kansas City Independent Auto Auction, Kansas City, Mo.
• Lynnway Auto Auction, North Billerica, Mass.
• Metro Auto Auction Phoenix, Phoenix
• Metro Auto Auction Dallas, Lewisville, Texas
• Music City Auto Auction, Spring Hill, Tenn.
• North Bay Auto Auction, Fairfield, Calif.
• Orlando Longwood Auto Auction, Longwood, Fla.
• Quincy Auto Auction, Quincy, Mass.
• South Florida Auto Auction, Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.
• Southern Auto Auction, East Windsor, Conn.
• Speedway Auto Auction of Charlotte, Concord, N.C.
• State Line Auto Auction, Waverly, N.Y.

Additionally, NextGear Capital's inaugural “National Charity Week” comes just a few weeks ahead of the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer in Indianapolis on Sept. 29, which NextGear Capital said it will sponsor for a third consecutive year.

According to NextGear Capital, it has raised over $30,000 since 2016 for St. Jude in support of research focused on finding cures and providing care for children.

Throughout June and last month, Florida’s Subaru of Pembroke Pines and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Southern Florida Chapter took part in the Subaru Loves to Care initiative for a third consecutive year to provide gift bags to patients who are currently battling cancer this summer.

Subaru Loves to Care, Subaru of America's 2-year-old health-concentrated initiative, has helped LLS and Subaru bring blankets and arts and crafts kits to about 70,000 patients at over 400 hospitals, the automaker announced Tuesday.

In a news release, Craig Zinn, president and chief executive officer of Craig Zinn Automotive Group, which owns Subaru of Pembroke Pines said, “We are happy to once again work with our valued community partner, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Southern Florida Chapter. Through the Subaru ‘Loves to Care’ health-focused initiative we can continue to support patients and their families battling cancer, and together help improve the well-being of our local communities.” 

In addition to Duane Massa, general manager at Subaru of Pembroke Pines, a team of volunteers and staff from LLS’s Southern Florida chapter visited patients at the Memorial Hospital West Cancer Institute in Pembroke Pines to hand-deliver bags of blankets to patients who are currently battling cancer.

“Through Subaru's ‘Loves to Care’ we were able to invite our employees and customers to join our Dealership in giving back, and together express how much we care about our hometown charity partners and the patients they serve,” said Massa.

Additionally, along with a blanket and personalized notes of inspiration that Subaru of Pembroke Pines asked employees and visiting customers to write, the bags also included “Here to Help” cards from LLS, which explain the organization’s mission and how patients and caregivers can find support groups and means of financial aid.

“Our organization is humbled by the support of this extraordinary event,” said DeAnn Hazey, executive director for LLS's Southern Florida chapter. “Patients and caregivers receive uplifting messages and comforting blankets to wrap themselves in the support provided by both Subaru of Pembroke Pines Family and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We are working together to find a cure and provide critical patient care.”  

In its 20th year of funding pediatric cancer research, the Hyundai Hope On Wheels nonprofit organization has gifted its $100,000 Hyundai Impact Award to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

The Hyundai Impact Award, which has been awarded to 21 other recipients, was presented this year to Dr. Don Eslin, who practices pediatric hematology and oncology at the Orlando hospital on Wednesday, Hyundai Motors announced.

Since 1998, the special award from Hyundai Hope On Wheels has been given to pediatric oncology departments at select children's hospitals nationwide every year.

“Throughout the country, talented doctors are working tirelessly to help kids fight cancer by conducting research or providing bedside care,” Hyundai Hope On Wheels board of directors chairman Scott Fink said in a news release. “Our goal at Hope On Wheels is to provide these doctors with the grant funds they need to perform their lifesaving work.”

The organization's latest $100,000 gift has brought its donation total to $145 million raised in support of the fight against pediatric cancer since the nonprofit began funding the cause about 20 years ago.

Furthermore, the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children has been the recipient of over $805,000 in funding from Hope On Wheels.

This year, Hope On Wheels said it will gift a total of more than $15 million to pediatric cancer research and programs.

More than 1,000 people will convene in Washington D.C. on Friday for a 106-mile charity bicycle ride with the hopes of bringing in over $400,000 for autism research as part of the annual Bike to the Beach DC fundraiser Carfax is supporting for the seventh year in a row.

This year, Carfax has set a goal of raising of $60,000 as a participant in the national biking charity event for autism held in association with Autism Speaks, the company announced Tuesday.

On Friday, Carfax employees and family members will join bicycle riders and volunteers from Washington, D.C.-area businesses, Congress and charitable organizations for a bike ride from Gonzaga College High School to the town of Dewey Beach, Del.

“Millions of families nationwide, including my own and those of other Carfax employees and our customers, deal with the effects of autism every day,” Carfax dealer client manager and four-time Bike to the Beach DC rider Robert Barish said in a news release. “Our 12-year-old niece is autistic. My wife and sons are traveling from Erie, Pennsylvania with me to be part of this year's ride because it's personal for us.

“Bike to the Beach is the perfect blend of a great cause and my own personal interests that we all can be involved in now. I love the ride and am thrilled that they are joining the incredible volunteer supporters. We're so proud of all the riders and equally admire those volunteers who commit their time and energy supporting this event so we can help improve the lives of those impacted by autism,” Barish said.

According to Carfax, Bike to the Beach DC is the company’s largest charitable event of the year, and it has raised a total of more than $170,000 since it began participating in the national biking event for autism seven years ago.

 “The ongoing support of companies like Carfax means so much to our community of riders, volunteers and families impacted by autism,” said Robby Walsh, executive director of Bike to the Beach. “We appreciate the involvement of Team Carfax and are grateful for their efforts to help us raise funds to further research and grow awareness of autism. Over the years this group has biked, collectively, thousands of miles for the cause and we cannot wait to welcome them back for another year.”

Dealers Auto Auction Group has a long history of giving back to the community as DAAG supports many local charities throughout the course of the year.

Collectively, the group’s recent efforts have led to more than $122,000 being awarded to a wide array of organizations.

DAA of Huntsville just celebrated its 14th anniversary sale with more than 1,000 units consigned and more than 60 percent sold, raising more than $15,000 for the Make A Wish Foundation. 

DAA of Huntsville equally has raised more than $55,000 for the local YMCA and American Cancer Society in 2018.

Giving back is something that is very important to chief executive David Andrews, who said, “We are so blessed with being able to be a part of so many amazing organizations. We really believe that supporting these local groups is the right thing to do.”

Roger Fields, general manager of DAA of Huntsville added, “It has amazed me what a group of dealers will do on a Tuesday morning at 10 am. In addition to opening their wallets with money contributions, these men and women have donated automobiles and numerous other items for our charity auctions.”

Dealers Auto Auction Group, which has seven locations in the Southeast, holds special events at each of their locations, including:

— DAA of Memphis has raised over $8,700 for organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, St Jude, American Cancer Society and a local food bank.

— DAA of Murfreesboro supports Mission Forces and has raised more than $33,000 in the past year.

— DAA of Chattanooga has raised over $10,000 for Toys for Tots, Forgotten Child and the American Red Cross.

— DAA of Mobile has raised $600 for Team Focus, a local youth organization.

“Dealers want to help support these local organizations” said Scott Keener, director of operation for DAAG.  “They really believe in giving back.”

Dealers Auto Auction Group was started back in 2001 with its first auction in Horn Lake Miss. For more information, visit www.dealersauto.com.