Executive Assistant Lori Van Roo said although Honda is a national corporation, the dealership is always looking for ways to be involved in the Leander community.
“We wanted our store to be all about giving back to the community,” Van Roo said.
This desire to invest in the Leander community inspired the Super Star Cool Car giveaway. Twice a year, the car is displayed at each of the Leander high school campuses and students can scan a QR code to fill out a form entering them into the drawing. Each campus principal randomly selects 20 students who attend an event at the Honda dealership where Honda staff randomly choose a winner.
“We even take care of the tax, title and licensing fees so the winner drives off not having to pay a penny,” Van Roo said.
The annual event is energetic with fun music playing and staff chatting with students about their plans after graduation. Van Roo said she likes getting a sense of what the future leaders of the next generation are going to do after high school.
“We make a day out of it,” Van Roo said. “We work with local businesses to donate raffle prizes and giveaways in addition to the car that we give away. We've given away things like mini fridges, air fryers, TVs, air pods...stuff students need when they're going away to college.”
The Super Star Cool Car program is in its 3rd year and this year’s event will be April 14.
“Last year's recipient was a very sweet young lady who is going to college to become an engineer,” Van Roo said. “Her parents were with her and everybody was shocked.”
The Super Star Cool Car program is not only for graduating seniors going to college. Students who plan to enter the workforce or take a gap year also have a chance to win.
“Just being able to have that freedom of transportation to get a job and to launch themselves into their next chapter is huge,” Van Roo said.
Before the Honda Leander location opened, Van Roo said staff worked with the Leander Chamber and the City of Leander on how our dealership can be an asset and benefit to the Leander community members.
“We're the first large dealership to come into Leander, so that gave the city and the community some concerns,” Van Roo said.
In conversations with the chamber and city the Honda Leander dealership found ways to partner with Leander ISD, Texas Humane Heroes and Leander Parks & Recreation Youth Baseball and Softball League.
Investing in the youth of Leander is at the heart of Honda Leander’s mission. Helping the youth with sports and education will benefit the individual to launch them into adulthood as well as creating a new generation of business owners and leaders.
In addition to the Super Star Cool Car giveaway, Honda Leander is involved in organizations such as Bates Mission, a nonprofit that helps individuals who have aged out of the foster care system. The dealership also supports Operation 360, a nonprofit that is committed to the fight on the substance abuse of opioids in the community.
To learn more about Honda Leander’s community involvement, or to register for the Super Star Cool Car giveaway, visit www.hondaleander.com.
The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
