The Epilepsy Foundation Car Raffle

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If you follow us on Twitter, you've probably seen your fair share of tweets lately about the Epilepsy Foundation Car Raffle that Lou Fusz is taking part in. I thought I'd take this blog post to explain it a bit more in detail, and why you should get yourself a ticket!

Last year, we partnered up with the Epilepsy Foundation to sponsor their Seize the Day 5K race and raise awareness of epilepsy in children and adults alike. After meeting and hearing stories from several different families (including a very special young boy with epilepsy, Cameron, who quickly became friends with Patrick) the Fusz family was moved and wanted to get involved. We raised money to become an official sponsor of the race, and some of our staff showed their support by running in it. I had never participated in a 5K before, so it was definitely a new experience for me. I can say with confidence that crossing that finish line felt truly invigorating, something I think everyone should get to experience. It was made even better by the fact that volunteers were set up at several points throughout the race, cheering you on and encouraging you to keep running!  

Overall, the 5K was a great event that we were proud to be a part of. We plan on being there again this year, and want to make things even more exciting. That's where the idea of a car raffle came into play.

For $50, you can purchase a ticket and enter to win a brand new Toyota Corolla L, or if you've got your eyes set on a different car, you'll get a $16,000 credit towards any vehicle in the entire Lou Fusz network. Only 650 tickets in total will be sold, meaning that you have a fairly good chance of winning! Plus, the money being raised will go to support the Epilepsy Foundation. It's a win-win situation! The raffle will continue through November, and the winner will be announced at Busch Stadium on the 15th.

Visit http://www.firstgiving.com/efmk/car-raffle to order your ticket online. You'll also be able to get one during the race on June 22nd in Kirkwood park. We hope to see you there!

A Double Dose of Charity

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The longer I tweet, post Facebook status updates, and blog, the more I seem to be slowly discovering and getting involved with the St. Louis community. Doing so has truly been one of the highlights of my job thus far.

In the past month, I rounded up several of my fellow Lou Fusz employees to take part in the Epilepsy Foundation's Seize the Day race. We had agreed to be a company sponsor for the event after meeting Becky and Deane, the ladies in charge of organizing the event. Seeing their grandson Cameron, who has epilepsy, really touched us, and motivated us to get involved. It was then that I thought to myself, "why not take it one step further?" 

I lent my knowledge and social media prowess to the gals and helped them in raising awareness. In the end, the race generated over $60,000, and I'm happy to report that all of our staff managed to finish the 3.1 mile trek through Kirkwood! Even more amazing, some of the guys immediately showered and went straight to work after the race (I on the other hand, hung around to meet Fred Bird and drink as much bottled water as I could).

Team Fusz, about 5 minutes before the ran began. Pat decided to show off the guns and forgo the race shirt...

The day before the race, another non-profit, Haven House St. Louis, asked for our help in generating votes for their entry in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program. If you've never heard of the program, it's a great initiative on Toyota's part. They ask non-profits around the country to nominate themselves each year, and have the public vote on which groups should receive a Toyota vehicle to benefit their cause. I rallied around our office (and on our social sites, of course) to garner as many votes as possible. In the end, Haven House was declared a winner! I'm looking forward to seeing how the Toyota Sienna Mobility they chose will impact their ability to provide reliable, safe transportation for the people they help.

So what's next? Only time will tell. But I'm always looking for great opportunities to present to my GM, ones that show support for great causes in St. Louis or even in the community. If you know of such one, you're more than welcome to reach out to me and share your story. Follow me on Twitter at @Erocdotusa or @LouFuszToyota ! 

Seize the Day

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Ask anyone if they can name a charitable event that they take part in annually, and a good number of people will tell you something like the Komen Race for the Cure. It's certainly a great a cause, but when you think about it, there are many other organizations that could use our help, especially locally based ones. That's why this year, Lou Fusz Toyota is proud to announce our sponsorship for the Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas with their "Seize the Day" 5K race on  June 16th.

We visited with Deane Jones and her family this past week, and learned about how many more people in St. Louis are afflicted with epilepsy than we could have ever thought. 15,073 kids alone are dealing with it on a daily basis, and up to 250,000 people in the St. Louis area have had recurring seizures at some point in their life. At this time, there is no known cure for epilepsy, only treatments that can be used to control their frequency. However, even with medication, a percentage of people, sometimes up to 20%, will still experience uncontrollable seizures. It is incredibly important to raise awareness for epilepsy in children, as their social and emotional growth can be damaged if their seizures are not controlled.

Here's an interesting fact about epilepsy you may not have known - those who suffer it can still legally drive, in most cases. With proper treatment, a patient afflicted with epilepsy may be able obtain the necessary licensing requirements to operate a car within three months to a year, on average. Sadly, many other countries around the world prohibit those who ever had an epileptic bout from driving at all.

With your help, we can build awareness on epilepsy and make this a memorable day. The Seize the Day race will be held in our neighborhood on Saturday, June 16th, at the Kirkwood Train Station – 110 W. Argonne Dr, Kirkwood, MO, 63122.

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To participate in the race, you'll need to register by May 24th. There is a jogging race (with prizes!) and a non-competitive walk, for those who still want to take part in the day's festivities. If you can't make the event, you can also donate to the Epilepsy Foundation. For full details, visit the Seize the Day website. We hope to see you June 16th!