Uftring Donates to Children's Hospital of Illinois

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. ” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Serving others and helping those less fortunate is rewarding. This is especially true and heartbreaking when those in need are children, some of whom are literally fighting for their very lives. Uftring Auto Group was proud to raise and donate over $5,700 dollars to the Children's Hospital of Illinois through its Uftring Ambassador initiative. The donation was made at the Uftring Automall on Wednesday, October 12.

Liesl Peters (l) presents the check to Wendy Mitchell (r) Annual Fund Director of Children's Hospital of Illinois

This strong fund raising event was spearheaded in honor of one of the team members at Uftring Auto Group, Liesl, who has been a patient at the Children's Hospital. Each of the six Uftring Auto Group dealerships accepted donations from employees and customers to benefit the Children's Hospital. Gary Uftring matched all of the donations in an effort to make the impact each individual contribution twice as valuable.

Wendy Mitchell speaks about the Children's Hospital

In June the Uftring Ambassadors took part in the Walk for Crohn's and Colitis to raise money and awareness to fight these diseases. A casual Friday was held where employees could make a donation in order to dress down for a day. Pot lucks were held at some of the stores, a tasty way to bring in additional funds.

Liesl relates her gratification for all of the support she received from Uftring team members

Liesl picked out a hospital grade heated blanket warmer as the gift to the Children's Hospital. In her address to the audience, Liesl talked about how most of the patients are very young children, much younger than herself, and she thought they could use a "nice toasty blanket." There's no arguing with that logic or warm heart. Liesl related how thankful she was for the service and care she received from the doctors and nurses, and how extremely pleased she was with her experience there. She's contemplating pursuing a career in medicine.

Kirk Johnson (CFO Uftring Auto Group) talks about supporting those around you and the courage and tenacity of Liesl's fight

Each month the Uftring Auto Group is proud to support a worthy and charitable cause in the community through its Uftring Ambassador initiative. We hope you'll be able to join us, but please get involved in any way you can to make a positive impact on your community.

Be A Neighbor This September

Mr. Rogers opened up his classic television program singing about the beauty and joy of being a neighbor. He even named his show "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood." In fact, he went one step further and asked you to be his neighbor.  It's safe to say that Mr. Rogers knew and believed in the power of community. Peoria has its fair share of citizens and organizations who, like Mr. Rogers, want to be great neighbors.

Fred Rogers, Expert Neighbor

Neighborhood House has served as a Safe Haven on the south side of Peoria for nearly 115 years. They provide for the social, material, and emotional needs of families, serving infants to elderly. All through the month of September the Uftring Auto Group is actively supporting Neighborhood House. We're excited to be partnering with them for our Uftring Ambassador initiative for the month.

Neighborhood House

We need your help though, as we can't do it alone. Would you consider being a neighbor this September? If donating to Neighborhood House sounds like something you would like to do, then please join us! Donating non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items will help them further their mission and help those in need.

So what do they need? There is an immediate need for diapers and baby formula. They are also in need of the following non-perishable food items: soup, canned vegetables, canned fruit, fruit juices, boxed meals, etc. Personal hygiene items needed include toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap, with travel sizes preferred.

You can find collection bins in each of our six dealerships near the reception desk and also by the parts, service, and body shop areas. Thank you in advance for your support.

You can find out more by visiting the Neighborhood House website. 

Neighborhood House Poster