The only thing missing after he successfully fired up the engine of a new car last night in Stevensville was the chance for Michael Lafrenz from Whirlpool to hit the gas and begin the race.
After hearing the command of, “Start your engines,” Lafrenz and eight other finalists with hearts already racing had the chance to turn over the ignition on a brand new car at Tyler Automotive last night during United Way of Southwest Michigan’s 3rd Annual Car Challenge at Tyler Automotive on Red Arrow Highway. Unlike a NASCAR or Formula One race, however, only one car in Tyler’s showroom would start with the keys turned over to the finalists, and that car belonged to Michael Lafrenz.
Lafrenz, a Whirlpool Corporation employee, was the lucky winner of a two-year lease on a sub-compact vehicle from Tyler. Seconds after successfully firing the engine, Lafrenz declared, “I can’t believe it. I’m shocked.” Lafrenz has been donating to United Way since 1995, and United Way was thrilled that a long-time supporter was last night’s winner.
To help incentivize the annual campaign, United Way of Southwest Michigan partnered with Tyler for a third straight year to provide the Car Challenge. Donors who gave $156 (or $3 per week) were automatically entered into a drawing to be eligible. The finalist names were drawn and announced on February 6th on a Facebook Livestream through United Way’s Facebook page.
Anna Murphy, President of United Way of Southwest Michigan, says, “We congratulate Michael Lafrenz on winning the car. And we thank Chris Tyler and his team at Tyler Automotive for putting on this fun event again this year. There were 8,200 entries in the drawing. That’s an incredible amount of support from our community, which we really appreciate.”
A gift of $3 a week for a year has a big impact. United Way says it provides one of the following:
- 34 meals for someone dealing with food insecurity…
- 2 months of support to help a young child learn to read…
- 1 free book for a child every month for 5 years…
- School supplies for 8 kids to start the school year…
- Support for 2 individuals to address their mental health…
- 1 year of a physical activity/nutrition program for a school-age youth…
United Way of Southwest Michigan is thankful to everyone who donated last year for helping to make the campaign a big success and to Tyler Automotive for their generous support.
United Way of Southwest Michigan fights for the Health, Education, and Financial Stability of every person in every community. They have the influence and relationships to make sustainable change a reality. By harnessing resources from corporate, nonprofit, and public partners, they provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable populations in our midst, while addressing the root causes of the community’s longstanding challenges and changing lives for the better. To join the fight—through giving, advocacy, and volunteering—visit online at www.uwsm.org.
