Toyota of Riverside has been a strong supporter of Olivecrest for many years. Like
many other organizations, Olivecrest had to cancel their major fundraiser this year.
Audra Whitham, o_ce manager at Toyota of Riverside, and some of the other
sta_ decided to make a “surprise visit” to THE RANCH with some anti-boredom
relief. The Ranch is an Olivecrest Group home serving at-risk youth boys ages 12-18.
The director mentioned that caring for these boys is both rewarding and challenging
during the best of times. Being in lockdown with them for eight weeks is a whole
new experience altogether. Audra and her team brought individually wrapped
cupcakes and snacks for both the boys and the sta_, Amazon gi_ cards, and a huge
3-D puzzle for each home. The dealership also provided $50 restaurant gi_ cards
for National Foster Care Month. The boys were thrilled. In less than 24 hours they
had all written heartwarming thank-you notes to the dealership. Our favorite reads
in part: “I hope someday soon good karma comes and helps you in your time of
need cuz right when I had little faith in humanity you were there.”
Ball Fest
Seriously! Is that really a thing? It is – and it is supported by four of our
Wilson dealerships: Right Toyota, Right Honda, Toyota of Las Vegas
and Toyota of Huntington Beach.
The term “Ballsfest” was created by Frank DeBlasi, a testicular cancer survivor and passionate supporter of children living with cancer. Now in its 10th year, Ballsfest produces signature fundraising events and otherwise raises money for young cancer patients who are facing especially di_cult challenges. The goal is to sponsor unforgettable experiences for these “Ballers” and their families.
This year’s event was held at Mountain Shadows Resort and honored eight Ballers.
Wilson Automotive adopted 7-year-old Bridget Korn. Bridget was diagnosed with an aggressive
bone cancer tumor in 2018, and has undergone over 50 weeks of chemo and had her
right leg amputated below the knee. We will be taking Bridget and her family to Vegas to
meet her idol, Carrie Underwood.
Last year we adopted 14-year-old Casey Page, who has been battling cancer since he was
two months old. Casey’s dream was to see his favorite artist, Michael Buble, in concert. We
helped make that wish come true – and then some. Casey and his family stayed in the
penthouse suite at the Waldorf Astoria in Vegas, and had VIP seats in a luxury box at T-Mobile
Arena. During the concert Michael gave Casey a shout-out in one of his songs. This
amazing dream-come-true evening was
topped o_ by a post-concert visit with
the artist himself. Michael chose the
post-show visit for Casey, so he could
spend more time with this young man
and his family.
Wilson Automotive is proud to support
Ballsfest and help provide unforgettable
experiences for these incredibly courageous
kids.
P.S. Bridget just completed another
round of treatments and shows no more
evidence of the disease!
CHOC Walk
Up before daylight and lined up among a crowd of thousands, 132 cheerful
and energetic Wilson Automotive employees teamed up to Walk for
CHOC. They joined forces to stroll the colorful parks of Disneyland and
Disney’s California Adventure Park for CHOC’s Annual Walk in the Park
benefitting the health and wellness of children in Southern California.
Over $2.5 million was raised this year, with more than $35 million
raised over the past 29 years. Wilson’s Warriors had the most
participation ever; and we hope to continue that enthusiasm and
momentum to help our community. Make sure to join us next year
as we walk to support Children’s Hospital Orange County for their
30th anniversary Walk in the Park!
Sharing The Love
Wilson Automotive employees went to work again this year to make the
holidays a little brighter for children and families in their neighborhoods.
$5,000 cash and over 5,000 toys were collected and distributed to local charities.
That works out to more than $2 and 2 toys PER ASSOCIATE in our Group!
In addition to toys collected at the dealerships, associates participated in
other events like Shop With a Cop, Toyota Tundra Club toy drive and the
Annual Toy Drive & Ride for CHOC. We are so proud of the community spirit
and generosity of our employees.
