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Delivering a free van to a family in need (VIDEO)

by Jeff Watson - Posted 4 years ago

(Image: video screenshot. View video at bottom of post)

2019 marks our third year of the 4 Seasons Auto Christmas Vehicle Giveaway. We like to embrace the giving season and give back big by gifting a free vehicle to a deserving family in need. This year's vehicle: a 2008 Nissan Quest.

Each year we open up nominations to the public and ask them to help us find a deserving family.

This year we watched hundreds of nominations trickle in over the course of three weeks. We spent hours reading heartfelt stories of families that have gone through trials and tribulations, or were simply down on their luck. It became overwhelming at times – how would we possibly be able to choose just one family? We were comforted by the fact that each family had friends and family that cared enough for them to take the time to nominate them. And while we knew we couldn't help them all, we knew we could help one.

So, flash forward to December 18th. After hours of carefully reading through and discussing each and every nomination, we settled on a recipient.

A family of seven: Mom, Dad and five kids. They had lost their home to a fire the year prior and everything they owned with it – except for their family vehicle which they were able to save from the flames. Shortly following, the vehicle broke down and set them back $4,000 in repairs and only continued to give them more issues after that. Most recently the transmission blew rendering it essentially un-driveable.

We knew right away this group's lives could be changed with some reliable transportation.

Knowing we had found a family, we filled the van up with gas, serviced it, detailed it and got it ready for delivery. Then, (with a generous donation of $600 from the Caddy Group of St. George,) we also went to WalMart and filled an entire cart full of presents for the whole family. The 4 Seasons team spent the afternoon gathered around the conference room table wrapping, labeling and imagining the kid's faces on Christmas morning as they tore into the many gifts.

And just like that: it was Friday. We were down to the wire to deliver the van with only 4 days left before Christmas.

The family's grandmother helped us orchestrate a perfect time and place to deliver the van when the whole family would be home. And with that – we were off! 

Watch to see the delivery: