RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, announced today the 12 winners of The CarMax Foundation's sixth annual CarMax Cares Community Service Award. This annual award celebrates CarMax’s commitment to giving back to the communities in which our associates live and work by honoring those associates who go above and beyond for causes important to their community.
Associates across the country were nominated by their co-workers for their personal volunteer efforts and leadership in community giving. Winners were honored at the company’s largest associate recognition event of the year in Las Vegas. Each winner selected a nonprofit organization to receive a $5,000 grant on their behalf from The CarMax Foundation.
The CarMax family is excited to introduce the 2015 CarMax Cares Community Service Award winners and share examples of their above and beyond volunteerism. Also, below are the nonprofits chosen for each $5,000 grant, and a few words from the winners.
Erica Bates; assistant business
office manager; Laurel, MD
Nominated for inspiring
co-workers to become passionate about community service through
courageous leadership and for coordinating events that serve the local
Richmond community.
Nonprofit selected for grant: Jack
and Abby Neonatal Foundation
Erica says: “When I started
with CarMax in 2011, I was excited to learn that our company was so
committed to providing exceptional teamwork through volunteering. I hope
that my commitment to community service will be an example to my fellow
associates and will continue through all of the communities that we
serve as a team.”
Elaine Bellard; service operator;
Houston, TX
Nominated for her exceptional ability to
build excitement for community events and dedication to increasing
awareness of the devastating impact of breast cancer in communities.
Nonprofit
selected for grant: Angels
Surviving Cancer Inc.
Elaine says: “Words cannot express
how I feel about this award. I accept this award in honor of all those
who are gone and those who are still fighting. I enjoy helping each
family and child that I come in contact with and challenge everyone to
get involved in the community.”
Stephanie Bowers; management
assistant; Charleston, SC
Nominated for actively
facilitating all of her store’s CarMax Cares events, serving as an
inspiration to co-workers and her commitment to mentoring youth in the
Charleston area.
Nonprofit selected for grant: Carolina
Youth Development Center
Stephanie says: “I cannot
express how grateful I am to have been chosen for this award. Last year,
I was able to help drive the CarMax Cares initiatives in our store and
facilitate 18 events. I feel that my peers see the passion that I have
for the nonprofit organizations we work with.”
John Chambers; mechanical lead;
Newark, DE
Nominated for leading a successful career day
event for Junior Achievement of Delaware, which gave six students the
opportunity to shadow CarMax associates, and for his selfless dedication
to serving the local community.
Nonprofit selected for grant:
Junior
Achievement of Delaware
John says: “Being selected for
this award is an honor. The CarMax Foundation has provided me with an
opportunity to use my life experiences to make a difference in our
community. The people I've met and the friends I've made through
volunteering will last a lifetime, yet knowing that I've made a
difference in the life of a child is priceless.”
Andrew Dilwicius; assistant store
manager; Ontario, CA
Nominated for building a
relationship with the City of Hope Cancer Hospital’s blood donation
center and his commitment to making a difference in his community
through fundraising and charity events.
Nonprofit selected for
grant: Glendora
Educational Foundation
Andrew says: “I am very excited
to be able to win this award not because of the recognition itself but
because most of what I donate is time. I always love when I can utilize
the CarMax Foundation to give funds back to an organization. The CarMax
Foundation motivates me to give because I know my money and time are
worth twice as much.”
Lara Sharp Finnie; senior
instructional designer; Richmond, VA
Nominated for leading
her team’s yearly CarMax Cares event with Northstar Academy and serving
as a voice for quality education, social skill development and job
preparation for kids with disabilities.
Nonprofit selected for
grant: Northstar
Academy
Lara says: “This award encourages me. CarMax's
commitment to providing time and funds for associates to reach out to
the community is more than a company being a good corporate citizen,
this is personal. This says CarMax values me and my family and our
community.”
Mazen Hammoudeh; sales
consultant; Woodbridge, VA
Nominated for being an
ambassador for CarMax within his local community and serving non-profit
organizations like Meals on Wheels and St. Jude’s Hospital for more than
25 years.
Nonprofit selected for grant: Fairy
Godmother Project
Mazen says: “I am honored to be
selected for this award and proud to be working for an organization that
gives so much back to the community. The CarMax Foundation has provided
support and guidance to help me give back to my community.”
Jessica Holubiak; business office
manager; Oak Lawn, IL
Nominated for her efforts to build
relationships with community organizations and for dedicating her time
to foster animals through the Green Mile Dog Rescue and Animal Welfare
League.
Nonprofit selected for grant: Guardians
of the Green Mile
Jessica says: “I have a passion for
ensuring that all animals are treated with love and compassion. We are
their voices and they need to be heard. Volunteering at local animal
shelters and with rescue animals to save lives has a huge reward. It is
also rewarding to see the difference that we can make just by fostering,
holding fundraisers and volunteering.”
Veronica Landetta; sales
consultant; Hillside, IL
Nominated for actively seeking
out volunteer opportunities for her team and demonstrating her
compassion for others by supporting co-workers experiencing adversity.
Nonprofit
selected for grant: Les
Turner ALS Foundation
Veronica says: “It is a great
honor to have been selected for this community award. I have always
loved to help people in any way possible. I always tell people not to
wait until someone in your family has a disease for you to walk/run for
the cause. You never know what life has in store for you.”
Malia Mabe; senior sales
consultant; Independence, MI
Nominated for her
leadership roles within the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City
and inspiring her team to go above and beyond as volunteers in their
community.
Nonprofit selected for grant: American
Royal Association
Malia says: “I feel very fortunate to
work for a company that supports and encourages my volunteer efforts.
From participating in my first CarMax Cares event as a new employee to
this meaningful recognition, I am able to make even more positive
contributions to my community.”
Jane Murphy; business office
manager; East Haven, CT
Nominated for her strengths
in promoting volunteer opportunities and her work as an ambassador for
the Connecticut Humane Society and regional representative for Autism
Speaks.
Nonprofit selected for grant: Villabolos
Rescue Center
Jane says: “I was humbled by the
nomination, much less the award itself. I am lucky to have found a home
with a company that values its associates’ desire to give back to the
community. It is a reward that only multiplies each time you choose to
help someone.”
Graham Watson; manager, business
operations; Richmond, VA
Nominated for his advancements
on the Home Office Giving Committee, ability to turn ideas into reality,
and for setting high standards for leadership and teamwork.
Nonprofit
selected for grant: Sportable
Graham
says: “This selection means a wonderful non-profit can provide more
disabled athletes with access to the transformative power of athletics.
CarMax has proven time and again that when it comes to helping the
non-profits I am passionate about, the company ‘has my back.’”
About The CarMax Foundation
The CarMax Foundation is designed to enrich the communities where our associates live and work and has donated more than $25 million since 2003. Funding programs are made available through a portion of CarMax, Inc.’s pre-tax profits. CarMax, a member of the FORTUNE 500 and the S&P 500, and on the FORTUNE 2015 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates more than 150 stores in 77 markets. The consumer offer features low, no haggle prices, a broad selection of CarMax Quality Certified used cars, and superior customer service. During the 12 months ending February 28, 2015, the company retailed 582,282 used cars and sold 376,186 wholesale vehicles at our in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at www.carmax.com. For more information on The CarMax Foundation, visit http://foundation.carmax.com.
