Drive Briefs

Toys for Tots program back in full swing

Friendly Ford Customer Care Manager Geri Bich has been in charge of the dealershp’s toy gathering efforts for the last 14 years for the Toys for Tots program.

“There are two groups you can never say no to during the holidays. Children in need, and the Marines,” said Bich. “It’s great to see all of our employees get behind this event and help make sure that all children in our community have a great Christmas.”

Local Toys for Tots campaigns are conducted by the Marines annually in nearly 400 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. At Christmas, the U.S Marine coordinators, with the assistance of local social welfare agencies, church groups and other local community agencies, distribute the toys to needy children of the community.

Friendly Ford is at 660 N. Decatur Blvd., just north of U.S. Highway 95. For more information, call 702-870-7221 or visit www.friendlyfordlv.com.

Findlay Chevrolet to give student car

Findlay Automotive Group has joined forces with the Clark County School District to honor a top student in the ninth annual Drive for Excellence with a 2014 Chevrolet Spark, which will be donated by Findlay Chevrolet.

“I went to visit the dealership to see if the people with Findlay would like to be a part of Drive for Excellence,” said Judy Meyers, assistant director of the School-Community Partnership program. “I was prepared for a long presentation when Jamaal (Findlay Chevrolet General Manager Jamaal McCo) looked across the desk and said ‘We’re in.’ It was that quick.”

Meyers said this year’s winning student would be honored with the vehicle June 3 at Wet N’ Wild off Fort Apache Road in the southwest valley.

In order to qualify for the Drive to Excellence program, students must have a 3.7 grade point average along with no unexcused absences. A total of $6,500 is awarded in scholarships.

The list of additional prizes given away to top students includes laptop computers and iPads.For more information about Findlay Chevrolet, call 702-982-4000 or visit www.findlaychevy.com. The dealership is at 6800 S. Torrey Pines Drive between Jones and Rainbow boulevards, just west of the 215 Beltway.

Hyundai’s Only auto shop buys buildings

Hyundai’s Only, a Las Vegas-based auto repair shop, has purchased three buildings it had been leasing in southwest Las Vegas. With the help of TMC Financing and a Small Business Administration 504 loan, the company owns 12,275 square feet of service bays and storage facilities at 5410 Spring Mountain Road. TMC Financing provided $537,000 of the project’s $1.3 million cost. The balance of the loan was provided by City National Bank.

When Kelly Collins’ landlord of 16 years decided to retire and sell her auto shop’s three buildings, the owner of Hyundai’s Only had two choices: to purchase the buildings and start building her own equity or take a chance that a new landlord would be as great as her previous one.

“This was one of the few loans we have funded in which all participants were women,” said Ann Santiago, senior vice president of TMC Financing’s Las Vegas division. In 2014, TMC Financing was the largest SBA 504 lender in Nevada. Hyundai’s Only specializes in all major repairs of Hyundai vehicles as well as some other makes of cars. The company has been in business for 20 years and leasing its current location for the past 16.

Hyundai Sahara, bike club launch toy drive

The Planet Hyundai Sahara and the Ironcrossmen Motorcycle Club have partnered for a toy drive for the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas. The event, now in its 35th year, will be held from 3-5 p.m. Dec. 22.

Planet Hyundai Sahara sales agent Jason Blodgett is a member of the club and got the dealership involved.

The Ironcrossman Motorcycle Club has been collecting gifts since Dec. 7. The collection has dolls, remote control cars and bicycles.

A 52-foot trailer will be used to take the gifts to the Boys and Girls Club at 920 Cottage Grove Lane off Maryland Parkway and Flamingo Road.

“I have been working with the Ironcrossmen for eight years,” said Jackie Gaughan Boys and Girls Club Director Adam Jimenez. “I was working with the Boys and Girls Club and someone from the club showed up and said he was there to help. Since then, they have been there every holiday season to help us.”

Located at 7150 W. Sahara Ave, Planet Hyundai Sahara is part of a locally-owned group of dealerships that includes Planet Hyundai Used Car Super Store at 7100 W. Sahara Ave. and Centennial Hyundai at 6200 Centennial Center Blvd. in the northwest valley.

For more information, call 702-938-1400 (Sahara); 702-483-2200 (Centennial) or visit www.planetlv.com.

Valley Automall groups support charities

Valley Automall Association, 300 Automall Drive in Henderson, donated $2,500 to each of 12 local charities to help celebrate the holidays. They are: United Way Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada; Three Square; The Shade Tree; S.A.F.E. House; Hope Link of Southern Nevada; Opportunity Village; Grant A Gift Autism Foundation; Family Promise of Las Vegas; Downtown Achieves (via Boys &Girls Club of Southern Nevada); Candlelighter’s Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada; American Red Cross of Southern Nevada; and Boulder City Veterans Home.