By Barett Poley
Vernon, British Columbia — January 17, 2017 — A family in need will have an easier time getting around, thanks to a charitable donation from Fix Auto Vernon, part of the Miller Group.
The Redlick family graciously accepted their newly refurbished vehicle from General Manager Tim Gares, saying it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Robert Redlick has physical disabilities which give him mobility issues it’s often a battle for him to get around. In addition to this, both of the family’s cars had recently broken down, leaving the family without any transportation amid their mobility issues. For the last few weeks before winning the car, they’d been borrowing other people’s vehicles just to get to work.
Gares says the vehicle couldn’t have gone to a more deserving family.
“We’ve been doing this for nine years now. We do this every Christmas for a needy family in the community,” says Gares. “And the Redlicks are people with a charitable spirit themselves. Not only do they have their own child to take care of, but they also sponsor and take care of six other children. They really have big hearts.”
The vehicle gifted to the couple was a 2005 Dodge Magnum, a car that Erin Riches, Deputy Editor of Edmunds called “… an extremely attractive car. Its long, low stance and flat tail end call to mind the colossal wagons of decades past, but a rising beltline, tapering roofline, short overhangs and prominent wheel arches allow it to pull off a contemporary caricature of its ancestors while giving it an athletic look.” In addition to the sleek styling, the vehicle has ample trunk room and seating, which is definitely a must for any large family.
“Before this they were actually walking to all of their appointments,” says Gares. “Which can be hard for any family, let alone one with as many people in it as theirs.”
Fix Auto Vernon has been doing Christmas car giveaways for close to a decade, with the Redlicks being the ninth family helped in this manner. Another sponsor, Watkin Motors, has joined the charitable efforts in the last two years. Last year the businesses partnered to give away a refurbished Ford Minivan.
“The past two years we’ve been very fortunate to partner with Watkin Motors,” says Gares.
There are so many examples of those in the collision repair industry helping out their communities, and often they go unpraised. For Fix Auto Vernon, though, it’s not about the praise.
“We wouldn’t want to turn it into a great big circus” says Gares, “If anything, we’re just happy that we have the resources and ability to do this for a family in need.”
