Pub. 55 2014-2015 Issue 3

28 personal message to members of his Classic team, Foshea wrote, “That’s teamwork folks, I can’t say thank you enough to all the departments that threw in and helped out on this. I’d like to see everyone in every department carry that fire and spirit through the month of December, into 2015 and beyond. THE HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER IS A SPIRITED TRADITION AT CLASSIC OF DENTON Being connected with the local community is a basic priority for all of the Classic family of dealerships and that is particularly true for Classic Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram and Classic Mazda of Denton. From the time that they opened a decade ago, Classic of Denton’s employees have sponsored local families with gifts and food to help make their holiday season bright and filled with love. Explains owner Richard Allen, “Our goal is to adopt more families every year. We know that our success as a business hinges on our local community, so giving back to that community is extremely important to us throughout the year and especially during the holidays.” This year Classic of Denton provided a merry Christmas to 135 families and 268 kids in the Denton area. The names were provided from local churches, and friends of the families who knew of this annual program. Employees purchased gifts, and complete holiday dinners and personally delivered to the families so they could be assured of a merry Christmas. In addition to the holiday fundraiser, Classic of Denton has also adopted SpiritHorse since 2012. On December 23, 2014 the dealership managers donated to SpiritHorse and Richard Allen, owner of Classic of Denton matched the amount and presented a check to SpiritHorse. SpiritHorse provides private equine- assisted therapeutic riding lessons for individuals with special needs to reach their full potential through interaction with horses. While riding, each student’s particular needs are being addressed through horse therapy such as speech, sensory, balance, behavior and cognitive processing. The tradition of a holiday fundraiser goes back to when Richard Allen was the used car manager at Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine. “I wanted to get our employees to rally together so in 1995 we started adopting families. On the night before Christmas Eve, after the dealership had closed, we would pack up box trucks full of presents, food and other needed items on the families’ wish list and deliver them directly to their door.” Now almost 20 years later, the tradition not only continues, but continues to grow. LOCAL CAR DEALERS TEAM UP TO RAISE MONEY FOR GRANBURY TORNADO VICTIMS “Before you can raise the roof, you have to raise the money.” That quote fromTomDurant summed up the collaborative efforts of the Dallas Fort Worth New Car Dealer Association whose members raised $57,500 to benefit Granbury Habitat for Human- ity. The Granbury New Car Dealer Association also raised over $30,000 for the organization. When the deadly twister struck Granbury this past year, it seemed to target the Habitat For Humanity homes that were built by volunteers for low-income families over the course of several years. Fifty-eight of the 61 homes were damaged including at least 14 that were completely destroyed. Thus began the 1st Annual Granbury NewCar Dealer Association Charity Golf tournament, representatives from both the Granbury NCDA and DFWNCDA presented checks to the Granbury Habitat for Humanity so that the work can start again. Tom Durant, Owner of Classic Chevrolet and Chairman of the DFWNewCar Dealer Association, and Lee Chapman, President of the DFWNCDA were joined by Mike Brown (Owner, Mike Brown Auto Group) and Danny Hill (Owner, Classic Chevrolet Buick GMC of Granbury) to donate the checks to Granbury Mayor Nin Hulett and Hood County Judge Darrell Cockerham at the Harbour Lakes Country Club in Granbury. Proceeds raised from the Charity Golf Tournament will benefit the Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center and Kyle’s Care. “It’s not just about auto shows,” explained Durant. “These associations are committed to having an active presence in the counties that they represent. It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to help those in need when tragedy strikes.” Lee Chapman, President of the DFW NCDA added, “Habitat for Humanity is an outstanding organization that we are confident will make use of every single penny to rebuild and give these folks a roof over their head that every family deserves. When you multiply the Classic spirit over 15 dealerships in 10 Texas cities, each with a staff of community minded employees, great things happen for Texas and Texans. Tom and Susan Du- rant have taken that dealer culture of giving to others to a level seldom seen in any industry. They serve as a perfect example of why franchised dealers and their employees are essential to the fabric of America. 