While fireworks, parades, and flags mark the Fourth of July, Priority Honda Chesapeake in Virginia recently celebrated the nation’s freedom in a special way with a $10,000 donation to Children of Valor, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing critical educational support for young students whose parents serve in the U.S. Special Operations Forces.
Giving Back to Military Families
Located in the heart of the East Coast’s military hub, Priority Honda Chesapeake is just a short drive away from several U.S. naval bases.
“We have a large population of both active and retired Navy SEALS living in our community,” said Tony Tran, General Manager, “and we wanted to honor their service, as well as recognize the unique challenges their children face with a substantial donation to Children of Valor.”
The Priority Auto Group shares a long history with Children of Valor, but Tran explained Priority Honda Chesapeake wanted to do a special event to contribute to the relationship and amplify the connection with their military neighbors. “Throughout the year, we take a percentage of every vehicle transaction and it goes into the store’s community-giving fund,” said Tran. “We save up until we get a certain amount and then we decide on the nonprofit recipients.”
The Donation’s Special Impact
On June 9, Tran and his team hosted a celebratory check-presentation event in the Priority Honda showroom, inviting employees, community members, and the media to attend. Children of Valor CEO, Dr. Gretchen McIntosh, told attendees how children in the special ops community experience a very high-tempo lifestyle, along with the added stress from parent deployment and frequent changes in school locations. “They sometimes fall through the cracks. And especially if they’re dealing with a learning disability, there just aren’t enough resources to help them really succeed.”
This $10,000 donation from Priority Honda Chesapeake will help three local students get the support they deserve with in-person tutoring, learning disability support, cognitive testing, and/or Individualized Education Program advocacy.
Special Guest Lends Support
Jason Redman, a retired naval officer and US Navy SEAL, was on hand for the check presentation to emphasize how important it is to remember the children of special ops parents.
“It’s tough to be a member of the military, especially a member of the Special Operations community,” Redman said. “Just like I did in my career, frequently, I was deploying with no notice. I was deployed to dangerous areas in the world. And that’s tough on kids, frequently moving. You’re with your kids, so that creates all kinds of educational challenges.”
At the end of the day, Tran noted how inspirational it was to hear Redman’s story and insights and see so many people come together to help local youth. The store plans on doing more donations to Children of Valor as the funds accrue.
“Priority Honda’s community-giving focus is to advocate for children, military families, and veterans. We’re very grateful to our military service members and their families.”
