Share your community news with us to be featured in the next issue! Email Janet Hale at jhale@tada.org.
Kingdom for Kids Program with Cavender Auto
Since 1996, Rick Cavender has led the Kingdom for Kids program to complete new playgrounds. This program has brought lots of play and laughter to children at elementary schools, libraries, community centers and nonprofit campuses.
Day one is in the books. The 26th Kingdom for Kids is underway at St. Anthony Catholic School. When the kids arrived on Monday morning, they saw a beautiful new playground surrounded by greens and colors of a complete landscaping transformation!
It was a proud moment for the Cavender Auto Family to work alongside 75 volunteers.
Thanks to the great sponsors and partners: The Najim Charitable Foundation, The Rotary Club of San Antonio, Frost Bank, Cutrite Landscaping and City Year! Here’s to many more years of new playgrounds!
Every child deserves a place to play!
Bird Kultgen Ford Scholarships
Bird Kultgen Ford awarded Ashley Powell and Gabe Kerr each with a $1,000 scholarship for completing the Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) scholarship program. Congratulations; we know you have a bright future!
“These scholarships are one of my favorite parts of my job. Great Grandpa Jack helped convert the old Air Force base into TSTC (Texas State Technical College), and it’s neat to continue to have a partnership with them working to equip students with great technical skills,” said Claire McDonald, president of Bird Kultgen Ford in Waco, Texas.
Park Place Bodywerks Technician Places First in Competition
Park Place Bodywerks Technician Adrian Ortiz recently won first place in the Paint Competition at the Auto Body Association of Texas BIG SHOTS Competition at the Irving Convention Center.
Ortiz has worked for Park Place Bodywerks for 18 years. He is a certified painter for Bentley, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz automobiles.
“It is a great honor that our members can publicly show their strengths and represent Park Place in such a good light,” said Brandon Gillespy, Bodywerks Dallas Shop Manager. “We celebrate their accomplishments and value their commitment to excellence.”
Other Bodywerks Dallas members representing Park Place in the annual statewide competition included Philip Glass, who placed third in the Estimating Competition out of 25 participants, and Bodywerks Estimator Davis Richards, a two-time winner.
April Ancira and Rick Cavender Donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of South Texas
Thank you to everyone who visited one of the 45 new car franchised dealerships in San Antonio in September that were participating in our Dealers Aligned program. For every alignment done, $10 was donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of South Texas for a total of $66,000 in 2024. This was the brainchild of Rick Cavender in 2020 and has provided well over $400,000 for the community ever since. It is so fun when we work together to make an impact.
Mardi Gras with Lost Pines Toyota
Lost Pines Toyota, under the ownership of Carlos Liriano, a longtime Louisiana resident who moved to Bastrop in 2012, celebrated the vibrant spirit of Mardi Gras with its 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Kick-Off Party on Jan. 11. The event drew over 250 attendees, marking another exciting start to the season and showcasing the dealership’s commitment to bringing a taste of New Orleans to Central Texas.
The showroom was transformed into a Mardi Gras wonderland, with colorful decorations and festive energy throughout, including a Christmas tree fully decorated in Mardi Gras colors and ornaments. The tree will remain on display throughout the entire Mardi Gras season, continuing the dealership’s commitment to celebrating the culture and excitement of this lively tradition. Live music by the Peterson Brothers kept the crowd entertained, while guests indulged in delicious homemade jambalaya and gumbo, prepared with authentic Louisiana flavors. To complete the authentic experience, attendees were treated to King Cakes, which was shipped all the way from Manny Randazzo’s Bakery in Louisiana, one of the most renowned bakeries in the region.
“Mardi Gras is all about bringing people together and celebrating good times,” said Carlos Liriano, owner of Lost Pines Toyota. “We feel truly blessed to bring a piece of New Orleans to Bastrop, offering our friends and neighbors a place to share in some of our rich cultural heritage.”
The event was a resounding success, providing a unique opportunity for both long-time customers and newcomers to experience the lively culture of Mardi Gras while connecting with the Lost Pines Toyota family.
Lost Pines Toyota would like to thank all who attended and supported the event, and looks forward to hosting many more celebrations of culture, community and fun in the future.
