As 2022 comes to a close, we can’t help but reflect on just of few of the amazing things we were able to take part of this year, all because of YOU – our loyal customers and community members. This year was filled with memorable moments, but we wanted to take time to highlight a few.
We kicked off the year with our first ever Denim Drive for Veterans! Our employees and customers helped us donate over 140 pairs of jeans and raise $5,000 for Every Third Saturday; a nonprofit dedicated to assisting veterans in finding new purpose post-service.
This Spring marked our 12th annual Oil Change for Hope Campaign. $1 of every Oil change during May and June was donated to Hope Chest for Breast Cancer. Over the last 11 years, we’ve donated over $80,000 to Hope Chest and couldn’t do it without your loyalty.
We welcomed summer by hosting one of our favorite non-profits, Free Bikes 4 Kidz, first giveaway of the season. Over 200 kids from across the Twin Cities came to pick out a donated, newly refurbished bike and helmet just in time for the warm weather.
Closing out August was our 3rd annual Veteran Vehicle Giveaway. Together with Wells Fargo and the Military Warriors Support Foundation, we gave purple-heart veteran, Daniel Cahill a brand-new Ford Escape.
Fall launched another wildly successful snack drive for 360 Communities! Our stores broke records this year, donating a total of 3,001 pounds of non-perishable food items for the local food shelf.
And it wouldn’t be a true fall fest without our infamous Trunk or Treat. Some new stations this year included facepainting, color the car, and terror tattoos. If you have yet to bring the kids to this family fun event, we invite you to join us next year. Let’s see if we can beat this years’ record of 5 attendees wearing a hot dog costume!
As for the holiday season, it never fails to be magical. With our fifth annual Give Back to Kids Event and Toys for Tots already in full swing, we’re thrilled to announce our participation in the 4th annual 12 Moms of Christmas campaign!
For some background, the Newgate School started over 20 years ago and has since donated over 700 cars to moms who don’t have reliable transportation. In the words of Newgate faculty member Blythe Severson, “There were single moms with small children who didn’t have reliable transportation, and that created, as you can imagine, a lot of issues for them to get their kids to school, to get to work, keeping a full-time job. [So] We started taking some of the cars that were donated to be used in our training program to help teach our students, and then use those cars as a way to give back to the community.”
So in 2019, Apple Autos, along with other dealers in the area decided to take action! Together with our friends White Bear Mitsubishi, The Bear Lot, Friendly Chevrolet, Gilleland Chevrolet, Miller Auto Plaza & Volkswagen of Inver Grove, we donated 12 vehicles for The Wheels for Women program at Newgate School in Minneapolis.
The campaign had such a huge impact, we couldn’t help but continue the tradition. Every year it has grown bigger and better, and this year was no exception. With the help of some of our local friends and social media influencers, we raised thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of donations to stuff the trunks with gift cards, services, home goods, toys, and more! The generosity of our community leaves us floored year after year. We are incredibly touched to be a part of the 12 Mom’s of Christmas.
And it’s only the beginning! We’re ending the year with teary eyes and full hearts and can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store.
