Classic Chevrolet employees and representatives of the charities who each received $40,000 from the Classic Employee Charity Fund for 2011.
From the turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving to the holiday lights at Christmas, the holidays are full of tradition for many families. But for the employees of Classic Chervrolet, the Thanksgiving holiday sparks a very personal tradition - the Classic Employees Charity Fund. “Each year, we have a committee vote to determine what charity we want to raise money for, said Erv Randle, sales manager for Classic, addressing the crowd. “This year, we actually picked four of our favorite local charities and the entire Classic team put their heart and souls into raising enough money to benefit all of them.” So this past Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, Classic Chevrolet employees, vendors, and invited guests gathered for the annual holiday lunch and fundraiser unveiling.
In the course of just a few weeks, the employees of Classic and their suppliers raised an astounding $80,000 which owner Tom Durant and his wife Susan, in their own tradition, matched for a total of $160,000. One by one the four charities, Christ’s Haven for Children, Sevenfold Peace Foundation, The Angel Fund of Trinity High School and the GRACE Foundation each received a check for $40,000. “This is all about the employees efforts,” commented Tom Durant who watched quietly from the sidelines, “it was through their hard work that the money was raised, all I did was match it.”
The representatives of each of the chosen organizations were overwhelmed with gratitude. “This is really just amazing, said Beverly Watson of the Sevenfold Peace Foundation, “the spirit of the Classic employees is remarkable. “ Added Dwight Roberts, Executive Director for Christ’s Haven for Children, “we are forever grateful for everything that Classic Chevrolet does for us throughout the year, but this is really extraordinary.”
Each of the four charities meets a unique need for the local community. The Grace Foundation fills the financial gap that exists for young adults who have survived childhood/teenage homelessness. The Sevenfold Peace Foundation is a faith based organization supporting their members spiritual health. The Angel Fund supports the financial needs for the less fortunate students of Trinity High School. And Christ’s Haven for Children is a Keller based children’s home, which provides foster care for infants all the way through lifetime transition care for young adults.
Erv Randle summed it up in a short speech, “Our motivation is fueled by the knowledge that this money is going to directly help those in our own community that need it most.”We’re the #1 Chevrolet dealership in the nation for one reason – when we set goals, we exhibit the sheer determnation necessary to meet them. It’s that determination that drew us together to do this charity fund for our commuity. Thank you and we’ll see you all again next year.”
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