The Jim Ellis Automotive Group of Atlanta, Ga., announced that it wrapped up its first responders appreciation campaign by presenting a $1,000 prize to one deserving first responder.
The Jim Ellis Automotive team traveled all over the north Metro-Atlanta area to make sure local first responders know they’re appreciated. The campaign started in May with a fundraising effort resulting in $65,000 raised through customer vehicle purchases and continued with various events and donations made to 10 Atlanta-area police and fire departments. To round it all out, Captain James Ferguson with the Gwinnett County Sherriff’s Office was awarded a $1,000 prize after registering for a chance to win at a first responder appreciation breakfast held at Volvo Cars Mall of GA in October.
“The resounding support of our clients in this effort to recognize and support local first responders has served as a testament to what we already knew to be true: we have great clients,” said Jim Ellis Automotive Group President Jimmy Ellis. “I am thrilled that as a company, we were able to come together to recognize and support such worthy individuals that serve our communities and often do not receive the honor or appreciation they deserve.”
Over the last six months, the Jim Ellis Automotive Group welcomed first responders into its dealerships in Buford, Chamblee, Kennesaw and Marietta for appreciation breakfast events where they were the guests of honor. Between all four of these events, the Jim Ellis staff was able to personally meet and thank over 400 local first responders.
In addition to the breakfast events, the 10 local first responding agencies that specifically serve each of the Jim Ellis dealership locations were treated to a catered lunch at their location. This opportunity was used to personally thank those that serve the Jim Ellis dealership communities and to make a $6,500 donation to each agency. The agencies that received a catered lunch and donated funds included:
- Chamblee Police Department
- Cobb County Fire Department
- Cobb County Police Department
- DeKalb County Fire Department
- DeKalb County Police Department
- Doraville Police Department
- Gwinnett County Fire Department
- Gwinnett County Police Department
- Marietta Fire Department
- Marietta Police Department
“Being able to personally visit so many of our local first responding agencies over the course of this campaign and shake the hands of those who serve our communities was an experience like no other,” said Jim Ellis Automotive Group Vice President Wesley Ellis. “Through personally delivering funds to each agency, I got to hear the stories of how each one would be able to fill a need at their agency with the donated funds. That really put things into perspective of how we were contributing not only to recognizing first responders, but how we were making an investment in things that would impact some of these communities for years to come.”
Jim Ellis customers and local community members have also rallied behind the company in this effort to appreciate local first responders.
“Over the course of our Jim Ellis first responder appreciation campaign, I was overwhelmed by the words of appreciation shared with me not only from first responders and our clients, but also individuals I encountered day to day in the communities our dealerships serve,” said Jim Ellis Automotive Group Vice President Stacey Ellis Hodges. “I had no idea, as we launched this endeavor that was so important to our family and company, that it would strike a chord with so many people. We had people in and outside of the first responder professions that went out of their way to express appreciation for what we were doing, and that was very humbling.”
Jim Ellis Automotive dealerships will continue to offer appreciation specials to first responders through the rest of 2017 as a small way to express their thanks.
