100 Blog Posts for Good

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There's been a lot of chatter here on the Toyota Talk blog. A hundred blog posts worth of content, to be precise! While I could reflect on all the writing I've done over the past year and do like a lot of different forms of media tend to do (condense everything into a "best of" segment, minus the laugh track) I think I'd prefer to talk about an initiative that we at the dealership have been proud to take part in for the second year in a row.

So what's the scoop? It was a tweet that started it all, actually. This past summer, I noticed a local charity, Haven House St. Louis, had mentioned a contest they were involved in with Toyota called 100 Cars for Good. I immediately recognized it because we helped out the fine folks at Mission St. Louis, who were selected as a winner last year. After seeing HavenHouse tweet about how they needed a vehicle to transport patients, I knew we had to get involved and help them win!

Patrick handing the "key" to Kathy Sindel from HavenHouse.

The 100 Cars for Good initiative is a big deal. Toyota gives away vehicles to deserving non profit organizations around the country each year. To enter, each non profit must submit a video explaining how a new vehicle would benefit them, and then win the vote of the public on their designating voting day. Well, that day came and we spread the word like wildfire among the Fusz network and our social networks. There's a reason they call it the information super highway...word travels fast!

HavenHouse took the majority vote, was announced a winner, and graciously allowed us to be the dealership to present the new Toyota Sienna minivan they would be receiving. To make their delivery day more exciting, we held a fundraiser and collected money to literally fill the entire back of their new vehicle with supplies. We're talking things like toothpaste and hand sanitizer they could use for all the traveling guests that stay at HavenHouse's facility. We also made some customized HavenHouse decals and put them on their vehicle, and got our Allstate office inside the dealership to make a donation as well. When the day came, we had representatives from Toyota and families from HavenHouse come out to celebrate!

The best part about this morning was seeing the mobility seat of the Sienna in action. HavenHouse specifically picked this minivan because it is the only one of it's kind in America that comes with a built in seat that can accommodate passengers with disabilities.

Check out the AutoAccess Seat video below-

Congratulations again to HavenHouse St. Louis- we hope you love your Sienna, and we can't wait to see it on the road! 

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 !