Community News

This month, the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation - the philanthropic arm of the Philadelphia Auto Show and the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia - will distribute a record number of 45,070 free winter coats to underprivileged children living in the five-county region of Philadelphia through its Driving Away the Cold program. On Wednesday, October 12, representatives from participating local automobile dealers delivered a total of 300 new coats to the North Penn YMCA.  The program will donate a total of 7,944 coats in Montgomery County specifically this year.

One in six kids in the five-county area of Philadelphia live in poverty. This equates to more than 174,000 children. The Driving Away the Cold Program ensure that as many children as possible have a warm coat for the harsh weather and frigid temperatures. The program eliminates a hurdle that keeps kids from getting to school where there is learning, nourishing meals, warmth and hope for a brighter future.

Started in 2008 by the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, Driving Away the Cold is a philanthropic initiative that focuses on keeping children warm by providing brand-new winter coats to kids who need them most. The new winter coats are raised during a special month-long campaign held in September. Participating dealerships donate a coat every time a vehicle is sold on-site throughout the month. Now in its ninth year, by the end of October, the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation and its dealer members have donated a grand total of 265,252 coats—warming the hearts and minds of underprivileged children across the Greater Philadelphia region.

Of the 175 dealerships that participated in this year’s program, 61 are located in Montgomery County including the following (pictured left to right): Robin Fletcher, North Penn YMCA; Suzanne Franks, JL Freed Honda; Jay Haenn, Lansdale Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram; Drew Fitchett, North Penn Mazda Volkswagen; Matt Beatty, JL Freed Honda; and Kristin Mark, Bergey’s Ford.

For a full list of participants, please visit www.caringforkids.com.

About the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation
The Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Auto Show. Established in 2003, the Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, supports worthwhile child-related initiatives throughout the Greater Philadelphia five-county region including its signature programs, the Black Tie Tailgate, Tech Comp and Driving Away the Cold. Its mission is to enhance and enrich the lives of children and youth in the communities in which its Dealer Members work and live. For more information, please visit caringforkids.com.                                         

Representatives from participating auto dealers in Montgomery County show off a selection of the more than 300 free winter coats delivered to the North Penn YMCA during Wednesday's Driving Away the Cold event.