Deanna Logan, a former Contact Ministries resident in vital need of reliable transportation, and Luke Ridge, a Make-A-Wish® Illinois recipient who dreamed of refurbishing his car, have seen those dreams come true courtesy of Springfield, Ill.-based Zara’s Collision Center Benevolence Program.
Former Contact Ministries resident Logan and her five children were presented a 2003 Chrysler Town & Country van, while Springfield resident Ridge, 20, whose goal is to overcome lymphoma, received his 1993 Mustang back totally refurbished. The vehicle were presented Dec. 11 during a luncheon ceremony at Zara’s.
“This is unbelievable,” said Logan. “Receiving any vehicle would have been an incredible blessing, but a van that is large enough for my entire family … I’m speechless. I can’t express my thanks enough to everyone.”
Zara’s was originally alerted to Ridge’s condition by a customer who serves as a sponsor for Make-A-Wish Illinois, and thought that the collision center’s skill set might be especially helpful for fulfilling Ridge’s wish.
“The most important thing to all of us is that Luke’s lymphoma is in remission, so we pray for his continued good health above all else,” said Brad Zara, co-owner of Zara’s Collision Center. “Refurbishing his Mustang has been a complete joy for our entire staff and partners. We’re so pleased that we could do this for him.”
It is the 15th year that Zara’s has purchased at least one vehicle, restored it to pristine condition, and then donated the vehicle to an individual in need. Over the course of those years, Zara’s has given away nearly 30 vehicles. A comprehensive maintenance check is done to verify the vehicle’s safety and reliability. Typically, a lot of time is spent searching for the vehicles, ultimately purchasing them from the owners, salvage yards, or insurance companies. More recently, vehicles have been donated by people in the community who have heard about Zara’s Benevolence Program.
“Deanna’s van came to us through the tremendous generosity of S&K Buick, our neighbors across the parking lot,” said co-owner Julie Zara. “Of course, they are familiar with our Benevolence Program and have been supporters in past years, so we were extremely excited when they announced that they would like to be involved in a more substantial way this year. Having the opportunity to choose a vehicle that will be a good fit for our recipient is a huge blessing. We can’t thank them enough.”
The Benevolence Program also is supported by Zara’s vendors, employees, friends, family, and insurance agents. Approximately 40 donors contribute to the program each year for items such as vehicle repair, paint material, mechanical work, gift cards, and monetary gifts.
“One of the truly special gifts we received this year for the family is from Bob Thompson, the owner of Bike Tek,” said Zara. “He donated five refurbished bikes for Deanna’s children. What awesome generosity.”
Zara’s Collision Center is among several Akzo Nobel Acoat® Selected shops across the country giving away a vehicle in December as part of a national effort to present refurbished cars to deserving individuals during the Christmas season.
“The focus of the program is individuals who are working to help themselves,” said Zara. “To be eligible, a person must have a valid driver’s license, a good driving record, and a verified need for a vehicle.”
