Each day in our varied communities throughout the Quad-Cities Daily’s expansive coverage area, business are quietly working to improve the lives of the people they serve. Sometimes that fact gets lost to the notion that banks and car dealers and retailers of all sorts are only “in it for the money”; that they have no concern for the community in which they conduct business.
Well, here’s an example of how one local car dealer recently made a big difference in the life of a man that lost his home to fire.
“Derek Ricks has lived in the Shoals area his entire life. When he recently lost all his personal belongings in a house fire, people he has never met rallied to support him. The employees at University Chevrolet Buick GMC in Tuscumbia held a funding drive to raise money for Ricks, for instance. Although none of the employees knew Ricks personally, every single employee at the dealership donated money to the fund. General Manager Marc Lowe matched those funds and presented Ricks with a gift card to help offset the cost of rebuilding a new household.
Mark Lowe and Tammy Sharp with Randy Pettus of Shoals Scholar Dollars
That spirit of giving back is contagious at University Chevrolet Buick GMC, and it starts at the top. Leaders have worked to establish community service as a top priority at the dealership. “We have spent the past three years focusing on our sales team, and our management team,” Lowe says. “We have recruited and developed an extremely talented management team. Now, it’s time to focus on becoming an asset to this community and to the families who live here.”
In recent months, the dealership has taken large steps in its efforts to support education, disaster relief, and local residents in need. In April, General Sales Manager Sheldon Hayes hired Tammy Sharp as business development manager. With her longtime connections in the local community, Sharp has sought out opportunities for the dealership to give back in meaningful ways.
“Tammy is an absolute asset to any business,” Hayes says. “The unique ability she has to create a positive work environment is priceless. She is a well known and a respected member of our community, and we are honored to have her as a member of the University Chevrolet family.”
Recently, Sharp has partnered with Jennifer Gray, superintendent of Lauderdale County Schools, and Steve Holt, former Shoals Chamber of Commerce president and newly-sworn-in Mayor Florence, to create a new drug awareness education program to be rolled out in Shoals area schools. Many existing drug education programs have been minimized due to budget cuts over the past several years, this partnership will work to enhance those programs with a strong emphasis on education for the parents and families.
“Everyone has been affected by addiction or knows someone whose life has been altered due to addiction,” Sharp says. “If people were more aware of the signs and behaviors associated with different drugs, there could be earlier interventions that could save a lot of families from the heartache and destruction of addiction.” By teaming up with others who are passionate about the Shoals community and applying resources to the problem of drug awareness, University Chevrolet Buick GMC aims to make a difference in the local schools and for families throughout the area.
University Chevrolet is also promoting education by teaming up to play an instrumental role in the Shoals Scholar Dollars Program. Formed in 2011, Shoals Scholar Dollars is a scholarship program that gives every student in the Shoals an opportunity to continue education beyond high school. Headed by the Florence and Sheffield Rotary Clubs, Shoals Scholar Dollars and the local community raise approximately $800,000 a year to fund this program.
The dealership also works to support the signature music industry of the Shoals area. Recently, University Chevrolet teamed with award-winning recording artist Alecia Elliott to create a jingle with the distinctive, soulful Muscle Shoals sound. With musicians Barry Billings (who wrote one of the songs on the Grammy-winning album by The Steeldrivers) and Grammy Award-winning Shonna Tucker, Elliott’s jingle will be featured on radio ads and an upcoming TV commercial, which will also feature Alecia Elliott. “Since music is a natural resource here in The Shoals, it only seems sensible to utilize that resource,” Sharp says.
Finally, the University Auto Group, which includes University Chevrolet Buick GMC, recently made a $93,500 donation to Prepare and Respond (PAR) Disaster Response Team. PAR provides assistance to those who have experienced storm damage primarily in the North Alabama area. PAR volunteers attend hands-on training that is offered by local disaster relief organizations.”
