“Doing Good By Doing Good.” This is the motto of Progressive Auto Group in Massillon.
And Progressive Auto Group is doing just that!
They are celebrating 80 years in business in 2017 and are giving back to the Community with “80 Acts of Giving Back”.
This idea was a collaboration of the 4th generation Owners of Progressive Auto Group, Craig and Tim Sanders and Tom Schmidt, Director of Business Development and Community Relations.
At this time, therehave been over 200 Acts of Giving Backcommitted by Progressive Auto Group. By the end of the year, the efforts of the team at Progressive Auto Group will result in over $80,000 given back to the local community in the form of cash and in-kind donations.
Last Saturday Progressive Auto Group sponsored an event by joining forces with the Stark County Humane Society. Donations for the Society were accepted at the event and six puppies were brought to Progressive Auto Group and were available for immediate adoption. I witnessed the first adoption when a couple walked in and said “THAT IS THE ONE!” and within ten minutes they were off and heading home. All told, four deserving doggies found their “FURever” homes. Since the inception of this partnership two years ago, over 50 puppies and dogs have found homes. In addition, over $3,000 in cash and product donations have made to the Stark County Humane Society.
This is what Progressive and Tom Schmidt like to do… they provide the venue and help an organization help itself.
Last fall, they invited local area High School Bands Fairless and Tuslawto come to the dealership and put on a virtual “Battle of the Bands.” Progressive Auto Group cleared out the bays and each band performedon separate days. Fans voted on a Facebook poll. Over 15,000 individual ballots were cast and the bands were in a virtual dead heat, so Progressive awarded each the top prize of $1,250 to be used to support their marching bands.
Another worthy cause Progressive Auto Group helped was Plain Local Schools Youth Football Cheerleaders. Progressive Auto Group supplied the venue for the Cheerleaders who brought out their green and gold tunnel, offered a 50/50 drawing and a Chinese Auction. The Cheerleaders asked of the folks coming to support them to also bring with them canned goods to be donated to the Hunger Task Force. The final result? Over $1000 raised by the Cheerleaders and over 140 cans of food were donated to the Hunger Task Force.
The largest event was in October this year when Progressive Auto Group sponsored another fundraiser to benefit breast cancer treatment. It was the 3rd Annual Progress4TheCure, raising more than $13,000 to be divided and given to the breast cancer departments at Mercy Medical Center and Aultman Hospital. This was a truly community backed event with over 90 area businesses having tables under a ginormous tent on the Progressive car lot. In addition, four area Chambers of Commerce and the National Sales and Marketing Executives co-promoted the event. My 101.7 FM was again on hand to help lead the event. A committee of 40+ community and business leaders met monthly to plan this event, which is always held on the first Wednesday of October. This year a record setting 600 guests visited the event. Over 1,350 Pink Progress4TheCure t-shirts were given out. In addition, over 150 door prizes were auctioned off, including twin grand prizes of a Cancun resort vacation for two and a fully catered event for 100 guests. Phew! What an accomplishment!
Tom Schmidt has asked that you please like and follow them on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveCJD/; https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveChevrolet/; and, https://www.facebook.com/Progress4theCure/.
I feel this is worth repeating… “Doing Good By Doing Good.”
