Community Service Spotlight

Wheeling Auto Center Customers Use Oil Changes to Raise $1,425 for the National MS Society

During the month of June, getting your oil changed at Wheeling Auto Center was also a way of giving back. For every oil change we performed in June, we pledged to donate $5 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. We asked our customers to stop by to help us support this worthy cause and boy, did you ever come through. A total of 285 people had their oil changed at Wheeling Auto Center in June, raising $1,425 for the Greater Illinois chapter of the National MS Society.

The money we raised together will help fund cutting-edge research and programs and services for people with MS and their families. We are proud to have made a difference in the fight against MS, and cannot thank our customers enough for their effort in making a difference in the lives of those affected by MS.

If you missed the oil change fundraiser and still want to help, the Greater Illinois chapter of the National MS Society has fundraising events and volunteer opportunities every month. We plan to get involved in a couple of them ourselves before our next Oil Changes for MS fundraiser in 2011!

Wheeling Auto Center Customers Raise $1,343 for NJDC

Thanks to all our customers, friends and family who participated in our fundraiser for the National Junior Disability Championships (NJDC), a competition for young athletes with physical disabilities or visual impairments. Inspired by one of our customers, Darwin Coligado, who is a wheelchair athlete, we wanted to do what we could to support the hardworking kids who participate in the NJDC and adaptive athletics in general.

During the month of February 2010, we pledged $5 from every oil change to the NJDC. We had 204 customers visit us for oil changes, raising $1,020. We also decided to donate $25 for every referral we received. During the month, 13 people referred their friends and family to us, raising an additional $325. (Those customers also received a free Wheeling Auto Center t-shirt as a special thank you!)

The 2010 National Junior Disability Championships will be held July 17 through July 24 at various venues in Deerfield and Lake Forest, Illinois. Go cheer the athletes on! You can find more information about the National Junior Disability Championships at www.njdc2010.org.

Veteran Receives Vehicle in Bumper to Bumper Giveaway

Wheeling Auto Center has participated in the Bumper to Bumper Charity Car Repair Campaign for several years, refurbishing and giving away cars to needy individuals. In the latest car giveaway, we were able to present a vehicle to a very worthy recipient: Joseph Negron, a Marine who was injured while serving in Iraq.

Wheeling Auto Center customer Andy Korn donated a 1999 Chevy Blazer to be refurbished, Lee Auto Parts donated the necessary parts, and the whole Wheeling Auto Center team pitched in to get the vehicle into prime driving condition. Joseph was thrilled to receive his new car, which will make his commute to and from work much easier. It was such an honor to be able to present him with the vehicle and to hear his story.

The Bumper to Bumper Charity Car Repair Campaign is a truly rewarding experience—we can’t wait until the next time we get to participate.

Wheeling Auto Center Customers Raise $1,580 for National MS Society

In June 2009, Wheeling Auto Center customers stopped in for oil changes and raised $1,580 for the National MS Society. By pledging $5 from every oil change to the Society, we were able to help fund cutting-edge research, professional education, and programs and services for people with MS and their families.

Supporting the Indian Trails Public Library

Wheeling Auto Center dedicated September 2009, to our local public library. We donated $5 from every service to the library when customers showed us their Indian Trails library card. We’re proud to have so many voracious readers among our clientele!

Local Girl Scouts Earn Their Car Sense Merit Badge With A Little Help From Wheeling Auto Center

Local Girl Scout troops #3700 and #782 took a field trip to Wheeling Auto Center to learn about the importance of safety in transportation. “It’s an excellent beginning tool for kids to learn about cars, and especially about safety,” said troop leader, Sherri Hickey, whose 4th graders attend Eisenhower School.

After a complete tour of the repair docks, the girls got a chance to get their fingernails dirty with a hands-on look under the hood, earning their Car Sense badges in the process.

Arlington Heights Teen and Wheeling Auto Center Crew Learn Valuable Lessons

As a young child, Mario Peralta always loved it when his father, an auto mechanic, invited him to help him with his work. So it’s no surprise that when Mario, a student at Buffalo Grove High School, had a chance to participate in the District 214 Job Shadow Program, he asked to work at Wheeling Auto Center— and we were happy to add him to the team!

Mike Van Wazer, our shop foreman, is Mario’s supervisor. “We teach him the basics about oil changes and tire rotation, balancing and repair,” says Mike. “He already has taken shop class at his school, so he was familiar with some equipment before he came here.” Mario works at Wheeling Auto Center three days a week for two hours each day. Shadow Program participants are not paid for their work. Nevertheless, Mario occasionally spends extra hours at WAC to watch technicians work on complex repairs such as engine replacements.

Mario isn’t the only person for whom the Shadow Program is a learning experience—the Wheeling Auto Center team benefits, too. “With Mario here to learn from us, we’ve learned to better explain the reasons for our repairs,” Mike says. Next time you visit, be prepared to hear sparkling-crystal-clear explanations about the work we’re doing on your vehicle, courtesy of the Job Shadow Program and our favorite junior technician, Mario.

Wheeling Auto Center Helps Troop 140 “Be Prepared”

Boy Scout Troop 140, out of St. Mary’s Church in Buffalo Grove, is considered a “high adventure troop.” Thanks to Wheeling Auto Center, it is ready for the challenge. The troop’s equipment trailer was badly in need of repair. Being tight on budget, troop leaders reached out to Wheeling Auto Center for some assistance.

“Troop 140 has over 100 scouts and that means a lot of gear whenever they head for the hills, lakes and streams,” says Ed Diamond, Scoutmaster. “Transportation of the troop’s equipment was becoming a scary ordeal—would we make it there and back safely and without roadside assistance?”

Wheeling Auto to the rescue! We donated our services over the winter to restore the brake system, repair the wiring for the lights, fix the tire jack, and remove layers of road residue with a much-needed power washing.

Annual Kids’ Art Contest

Every year, Wheeling Auto Center holds an art contest for students at our local elementary schools. The winning artists get to see their artwork framed and displayed in our lobby, and all the students get a prize for participating. The kids always have a lot of fun, and we love seeing what great ideas they come up with when they let their imaginations run wild!

For more information on the contest and to see some of the winning pieces of art, visit our Kids’ Corner.

Parades

Who doesn’t love a parade? Wheeling Auto Center participates in several local holiday parades, where you can usually find us honking the horn of a cool car and handing out Wheeling Auto Center t-shirts and other giveaways. If you see us from your spot on the sidewalk this year, give us a wave!