Midas franchisees donate refurbished vehicles to those in need

During this season of giving, several Midas International L.L.C. franchisees around the country have been supporting their local charities and collecting donations from the public.

Here are a few of the most recent Midas charity activities:

• Jim Glaser, owner of Midas of Grafton in Grafton, Wis., hosted a food collection event Nov. 29 and invited children and their families to visit Santa while the dealership was "repairing" his sleigh for the Big Night.

As a COVID-19 precaution, families stayed in their vehicles and were asked to write each child's name on a half-sheet piece of paper to discretely show Santa. The sleigh was wired with a microphone and speaker so Santa could talk to each child from a socially safe distance of about 10 feet.

The dealership asked guests to donate non-perishable food to benefit the local charity, Family Sharing of Ozaukee. Midas of Grafton also asked guests to consider a monetary donation. For the first 100 donations of $20, Midas handed out certificates for one free conventional oil change with a tire rotation.

• Adam Ford, owner of two Midas locations in St. Petersburg, Fla., is raising funds to help the local Young family who adopted four children and foster five more. The children range in age from 2 to 12 years old. Among the family's needs is a reliable vehicle that would fit such a large family.

Mr. Ford obtained a 12-seat van and refurbished it for the family. The dealership planned to donate the van to the Youngs in the beginning of December and asked the community for donations of gift cards and monetary gifts to fill the van with Christmas gifts for the family.

Midas franchisees around the country also participate in the corporate "Project Spark" philanthropy throughout the year in which they refurbish vehicles with the help of 1-800-CharityCars, and then donate them to people in need. Some of the recent donation projects include:

• Robert W. Koenigseder, a Midas franchisee in Arlington, Texas, along with the Midas corporate office and 1-800 Charity Cars, provided a vehicle to LeRoy Dick, a disabled Army veteran who was living on a low fixed income in his 26-year-old recreational vehicle, which was in poor condition. Midas said he needed reliable transportation to his doctors' appointments and to do errands.

Mr. Dick recently received a fully renovated Dodge Caliber donated by 1-800 Charity Cars and repaired and restored by Midas of Bowling Green, Texas.

• John Schmus, owner of Midas of Cherry Hill, N.J., organized the donation of a car to help Melissa Robinson, a mother of four young children, including 6-month-old twins. The twins were born premature and had to stay in the hospital for several months. Since Ms. Robinson couldn't afford a vehicle, she had to take a bus to the hospital to visit her babies.

Midas said she also needed a vehicle to take her children to medical appointments and school activities and to run errands.

Ms. Robinson recently was surprised with a fully renovated vehicle donated by 1-800 Charity Cars and repaired and restored by Midas of Cherry Hill.

• Katz Group, which owns Midas of New Albany, Ohio, recently assisted Randy Robert, a father of a young child and a recovering alcoholic with personal issues that have prevented gainful employment.

According to Midas, he is contributing to the community by aiding the local Family Promise charity to develop an aftercare program for families who are exiting homelessness to achieve independence. But his vehicle was unreliable and causing issues in seeking a job and making medical appointments.

In October, Midas and District Manager Dan Wenger presented Mr. Robert with a fully renovated vehicle, which was donated by 1-800 Charity Cars and repaired and restored by Midas of New Albany.