Lake Shore Ford of Burns Harbor recently teamed up with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana to host a one-day, Drive 4 UR Community event that brought new Ford vehicles of all shapes and sizes to the Duneland Club in Chesterton. From family cars and pick-up trucks, to sporty rides and classic sedans, there was a vehicle sure to pique the interest of anybody who stopped in.
Don Hadley, Dealer Operations Manager for Lake Shore Ford was excited about the day and said, “This is a very important partnership to us and this is our fourth year working with the Boys & Girls Clubs. As a parent, I understand the importance of children being safe [at the Club] and not out roaming where they shouldn’t be.”
Ford launched Drive 4 UR School back in 2007 as a way to give back to communities across the county. After an overwhelming amount of success, the Drive 4 UR Community initiative was launched in 2012 allowing local Ford dealerships to partner with community nonprofit organizations as well. Thousands of events and $35 million in donations later, participants are still test-driving for a cause that they - and Ford - are equally passionate about.
Hadley also shared, “For every community member who comes in to test drive today, Ford will donate $20 to the Club. We have a goal of 300 test drives to raise $6,000 in one day. There are no sales people – this is strictly a fundraising event, but we’ll send [people] to the dealership if they’re interested.”
Stephanie Hamilton, Director of Marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana said, “This is a really cool event and people really enjoy coming out to drive a fancy new car. It’s an easy way for people to give back and all the proceeds from today will go towards the Duneland Club’s capitol campaign fund which allowed us to build this beautiful new facility.”
There are many challenging trends facing America’s youth: poverty, crime, teen suicide, and childhood obesity…to name a few. Boys & Girls Clubs – in Northwest Indiana and across the country – help positively impact these trends and shape the futures for millions of our nation’s youth. To learn more or get involved, please visit https://www.bgcgreaternwi.org/
