Cavender Auto Family — Making Kindness Happen
Cavender Toyota’s Fixed Operations Director, Marshall King, connected with two San Antonio High School instructors of their respective automotive technology programs and coordinated donations of Hunter tire changing machines that had been replaced with newer model machinery.
McCollum High School’s Mike Martinez shared pictures of his students showing their appreciation, stating, “Thank you and the Cavender Auto Family for blessing us with the tire changing machine donations. Thanks for partnering with us in the Automotive Education Community.”
Lanier High School’s Juan Morales was thrilled when he received the call asking if his program could use two of the machines and is planning on putting them to good use.
Both schools have well-established Automotive Technology classes and, over time, have partnered with Cavender Auto Family, bringing students on tours of Cavender Toyota and Audi Dominion dealerships with a goal to encourage students to follow their passion, enhance their skills, and join the industry in various roles in the future. Over 50 students showed up to tour both Cavender Toyota and Audi Dominion service operations!
McCollum High School students show their appreciation for the donation of Hunter Equipment.
Audi Dominion hosted Lanier High School students and donated an SUV for their shop.
Rick Cavender speaks to students from Lanier High School in the Service Area at Audi Dominion.
Cavender Toyota hosted Lanier High Schools students and donated a Tundra for educational purposes.
Park Place and Earth Day
Since 1970, Earth Day has been an opportunity to educate and inspire Americans about the impact we all have on our environment. On Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22, Park Place Dealerships marked the event with an opportunity for Texans to learn about electric vehicles.
A 2022 study from Consumer Reports showed that a growing number of consumers are eager to buy an electric vehicle (EV). Nearly half of the 8,027 respondents were unaware of existing federal and state incentives available to purchase an electric vehicle. In this same study, consumers would consider buying an EV for the following reasons:
- It costs less to charge an EV than to refuel a gas car.
- Lifetime costs are lower.
- Maintenance costs are lower.
Mercedes-Benz plans to be battery-electric by 2030, and the EQ lineup recently saw the introduction of the EQE.
Park Place Dealerships invited their community to experience the luxury and performance of the Mercedes-Benz EQ with test drives at six different DFW locations.
Street Volkswagen Award
In partnership with the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, the Office of the Governor Small Business Award team produced the Governor’s Small Business Summit at the Amarillo Civic Center on June 1. During the summit, Street Volkswagen received the Governor’s Outstanding Community Partner Award based on nominations from local community partners and individuals in the Amarillo area.
El Paso Automobile Dealers Reward $35,000 in Scholarships to Local Students
The El Paso New Car Dealers Association (EPNCDA) and its board members are pleased to announce another record year for the Scholarship Program, giving away $35,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. The recipients were recognized on Wednesday, June 14, at the EPNCDA Annual Luncheon. The 21 students each received a $1,000-$5,000 scholarship.
The EPNCDA Scholarship Fund was established in 2015, thanks to the success of the EPNCDA’s Annual Golf Tournament and Skeet & Trap Shoot. The Association has remained dedicated to continued education for students in the El Paso community and has already awarded over $177,000 to 154 students, all local dealership employees, or their dependents.
“We are proud to support the families of dealership employees throughout El Paso,” said Alfred Alvarado, General Manager of Casa Ford Lincoln and President of EPNCDA. “Giving our children a college education is every parent’s dream, so we hope these scholarships help make that dream a reality for our employees.”
The car business continues to evolve each year with new challenges and innovations, from inventory availability to the electrification of transportation. With an ever-changing industry, dealers rely on their employees to grow with the business to continue to bring quality service to local customers.
“The dealers consider their employees the backbone of their business, and supporting them is a top priority,” says EPNCDA Executive Director Lexi Buquet. “We hope these scholarships relieve some of the financial burdens to support a higher education for their children.”
Updates about the EPNCDA Scholarship Program and upcoming events can be found at www.facebook.com/epncda.
2023-2024 El Paso New Car Dealers Association Scholarship Recipients
$5,000 Scholarship
Melody Geiger
The University of Texas at Austin
*Hyundai of El Paso
$3,000 Scholarship
Alondra Ramirez
El Paso Community College
*Hoy Family Auto
Stephanie Flores
St. Mary’s University
*Hoy Family Auto
$2,000 Scholarship
Zoraya Yanar
New Mexico State University
*Casa Ford Lincoln
Luis-Carlos Jurado
University of Texas at El Paso
*Porsche El Paso
$1,500 Scholarship
Katia Gutierrez
University of Texas at El Paso
*Casa Kia
Isabel Jurado
University of Texas at El Paso
*Porsche El Paso
Santiago Jurado
University of Texas at El Paso
*Porsche El Paso
Mia Rocha
University of Texas at El Paso
*Charlie Clark Nissan
Alan Alvarado
The New School
*Casa Ford
Blanca Ayala
University of Texas at Austin
*Rudolph Honda
Kiara Rodriguez Zazueta
University of Texas at El Paso
*Giles Volvo at El Paso
Jorge Salazar
El Paso Community College
*Hoy Family Auto
$1,000 Scholarship
Valeria Martinez
University of Texas at El Paso
*Sunland Park CJDR
Paloma Palmer
Texas A&M University
*Casa Ford
Warren Palmer
Texas A&M University
*Casa Ford
Faith Ruiz
El Paso Community College
*Rudolph Honda
Obed Castaneda
Western Technical College
*Mission Chevrolet
Lilian Martinez
University of Texas at El Paso
*Casa Ford
Andres Torres
Western Technical College
*Mission Chevrolet
Yalet Yanar
New Mexico State University
*Casa Ford
*Dealer member associated with the recipient.
Meaningful Research — April Ancira, Vice President, Ancira Auto Group Honored
“Be the light that cures cancer.”
Over one million people have been inspired by these powerful words to join The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in its fight against blood cancers.
Since the first event in 1999, Light the Night has become LLS’s signature annual event. It draws supporters from across North America who participate in an evening of walks to honor loved ones affected by blood cancers and to raise money for lifesaving research and crucial patient resources.
Light the Night also presents an opportunity for corporate America to join the cause. Many big-name companies form national teams, and corporate executives compete in Light the Night’s Executive Challenge. These industry leaders strive to raise $10,000 or more for the blood cancer community.
April Ancira, Vice President of Ancira Auto Group and past TADA Chairman of the Board, was recently spotlighted by Forbes Magazine as one of the top five Executive Challenge alumni who raised the most money in 2022.
When asked what motivates her to support LLS, she said, “Contributing critical funds for research — in honor of people in my life who’ve been affected by blood cancer — is the Executive Challenge’s real reward. By supporting a specific area of research that’s meaningful and connected to those we’ve lost, corporate leaders can lead by example and move the needle forward for patients and families.”
