Thanks to Lithia & Driveway (LAD) stores who took action during the Community Focus on Back-to-School, many students started the school year strong with brand-new gear and supplies.
Through established OEM partnerships and local community drives in July and August, over 100 stores in 17 states came together to provide classroom essentials for under-resourced students and schools in their communities.
“I’m thrilled and touched by how many leaders and team members got involved this year,” said Brittany Osterhout, Senior Manager of Community Relations. “Together, we donated thousands of school-supply items and backpacks to local schools and nonprofits in the communities we serve.”
Strategic Partnerships Jumpstart Donations
AMAZON BUSINESS VENDOR-PREFERRED PRICING
To give stores a boost, LAD partnered with Amazon Business so stores could purchase bulk products—such as backpacks, notebooks, highlighters, and pencils—at vendor-preferred pricing. Many stores took advantage of this connection to increase their donation’s overall impact.
“SUBARU LOVES LEARNING” PROGRAM
As part of its Subaru Loves Learning initiative, retailers can partner with AdoptAClassroom.org to fund essential school supplies for high-needs schools nationwide. At LAD, nearly 20 Subaru stores either participated in this OEM program or another related effort—some even decided to do both!
In Iowa, for example, Ramsey Subaru of Des Moines adopted Karen Acres Elementary School through the Subaru Loves Learning program. Store volunteers presented school staff with six boxes of educational resources and classroom supplies—personally expressing their appreciation for the impactful work educators do each day.
“Being able to support their classrooms and help provide student resources made this initiative especially meaningful for our team,” recalled Ross Jarzembowski, General Sales Manager at Ramsey Subaru. “We take great pride in community involvement, and we’re grateful for opportunities like Subaru Loves Learning.”
“SUPPLY A STUDENT” PROGRAM AT TOYOTA
For the past five years, Toyota has partnered with the Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) as part of its Supply a Student program. This year, over 600 dealers participated nationwide, including 25 LAD locations.
At Toyota of Downtown Los Angeles, General Manager David Shin, celebrated five years partnering with Lenicia B. Weemes Elementary School. “Seeing the excitement on the students’ faces as they received their new backpacks and school supplies never gets old. We sell cars, but our responsibility to Los Angeles goes far beyond the showroom.”
Stores Take Personal Ownership to Help Schools
The rest of the participating LAD stores got creative with local supply drives and promotional events to support the company’s Q3 Back-to-School focus.
LAS VEGAS COLLABORATION SHINES
In Las Vegas, the campaign had a personal connection for Cliff Nauenburg, General Manager of Desert 215 Superstore, who recalled growing up in nearby Henderson and needing help with school supplies. “I still remember how wonderful it felt to get new school supplies. Having the opportunity to give back to kids who may be in the same position makes this campaign particularly special to me.”
With the additional help of his friends at Centennial Hyundai, Henderson Hyundai, Sahara CDR, and Jeep Only, the Vegas stores donated 3,000 backpacks, 5,000 notebooks, and six boxes of highlighters to help local students.
EAST COAST STORES HAVE FUN HELPING STUDENTS
In another impressive effort of community engagement, over 20 stores across New Jersey and New York joined forces to donate 1,600 backpacks filled with essential school supplies. They partnered with a local nonprofit, Jersey Cares, to help distribute the supplies to deserving schools.
What began as a school-supply drive quickly grew into a large-scale team effort. “We had a lot of fun,” said Theresa Soutelo, Business Manager at DCH Ford of Eatontown. “Our whole store was involved. Our GM was packing book bags, the salespeople, literally everybody. It was just a really good experience.”
OREGON STORES UNITE FOR STUDENTS
In Portland, volunteers from DFC and the Driveway Center—along with Airstream Adventures, MINI of Portland, Mercedes-Benz of Portland, and Mercedes-Benz of Beaverton—came together to support local nonprofit Schoolhouse Supplies with 200 backpacks.
In Medford, volunteers from the Home Office and six local dealerships filled 800 backpacks with new school supplies and handed them over to local nonprofits ACCESS & CASA for distribution.
A GOLD STAR FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS!
A huge thank to everyone who made this community outreach campaign a resounding success.
PARTICIPATING LAD STORES:
- Arizona: Bell Road Toyota
- California: Anaheim Hyundai, DCH Toyota of Oxnard, DCH Toyota of Torrance, Diablo Subaru of Walnut Creek, Huntington Beach Hyundai, Lithia Subaru of Fresno, Toyota of Downtown LA
- Florida: Subaru of Gainesville, Subaru of North Miami
- Iowa: Ramsey Subaru of Des Moines
- Michigan: Ann Arbor CDJR, Ann Arbor Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Plymouth Cadillac, Troy Buick GMC, Troy Hyundai, Troy Land Rover, Troy Mazda, Troy Toyota, Troy Volvo
- Minnesota: Porsche Minneapolis, Porsche St. Paul
- Montana: Billings Dodge, Lithia Toyota of Billings, Lithia Toyota of Missoula
- Nevada: ABC Hyundai, Centennial Hyundai, Desert 215 Superstore, Genesis of Las Vegas, Henderson Hyundai, Hyundai of Las Vegas, Jeep Only, Lithia Reno Subaru, Sahara CDR
- New Jersey: Audi Millburn, BMW of Bloomfield, BMW of Freehold, BMW of Ramsey, DCH Academy Honda, DCH Brunswick Toyota, DCH Ford of Eatontown, DCH Freehold Toyota, DCH Kay Honda, DCH Montclair Acura, DCH Paramus Honda, Hamilton Honda, Mercedes-Benz of Paramus, MINI of Ramsey, Planet Honda, Prestige Lexus of Ramsey, Prestige Toyota of Ramsey
- New York: DCH Wappingers Falls Toyota, Nanuet Honda, Orange County Lexus, Subaru of Troy, Subaru of Utica, Suburban Subaru of Troy
- Oregon: Buick GMC of Beaverton, Cadillac of Portland, Crater Lake Ford, Grants Pass CJD, Lithia Subaru - Oregon City, Lithia Toyota, Lithia Toyota of Klamath Falls, Lithia Toyota of Springfield, Medford CJD, Medford Honda, Medford Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz of Portland, Portland Airstream Adventures
- Pennsylvania: Baierl Subaru, Baierl Toyota, Driveway Subaru of Moon Township, Subaru of South Hills
- Tennessee: Mercedes-Benz of Collierville, Sunrise Buick GMC of Wolfchase, Sunrise Chevrolet Buick GMC of Collierville, Toyota of Gallatin
- Texas: Clear Lake Honda, John Eagle Sport City Toyota, Keyes Toyota, Lithia Toyota of Abilene, Lithia Toyota of Odessa, Southwest Kia Dallas
- Virginia: Priority Hyundai, Priority Toyota Chesapeake
- Washington: Michael's Subaru of Bellevue, Michael's Toyota of Bellevue, Subaru of Spokane
- Wisconsin: Wilde East Towne Honda, Wilde Honda, Wilde Subaru, Wilde Toyota
