Chicago Automobile Trade Association Donates $1,500 to Court Appointed Special Advocate of River Valley via Chicagoland Dealers Care Program
The Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), Chicagoland’s new-car dealer association, recently donated $1,500 to Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of River Valley. The donation came in conjunction with Ron Tirapelli Ford and the Chicagoland Dealers Care program, an initiative that matches CATA dealer donations of up to $1,500 for local charitable organizations. The dealership has donated more than $10,000 to CASA of River Valley.
CASA of River Valley’s mission is to draw from community resources to provide and support advocates, whose goal is to reduce the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social impacts of abuse and neglect experienced by children involved in the Will and Grundy County Judicial Systems, due to no fault of their own. CASA of River Valley advocates for more than 400 children annually by recruiting and training volunteers to act as the voice of the child, providing needed information to the court, and working toward a more restorative juvenile court process. It costs $1,000 per year, per child, with the need continuing to grow as it is estimated that 150 children go underserved each year.
“These donations are directly helping child victims in the community,” said Rita Facchina, CASA of River Valley executive director. “They are suffering from trauma that they shouldn’t have to endure as a child, nor did they do anything to deserve it.”
The support from Ron Tirapelli Ford to CASA of River Valley stems from Tom Conlin, the dealership’s principal and general manager. Conlin’s neighbor fosters children that have been a part of the CASA organization, allowing him to see firsthand the devastation the children go through and the needs they have.
The entire Ron Tirapelli Ford dealership rallies behind the cause, as the dealership offers payroll deductions pre-tax for employee charitable contributions and is matched by the dealership. Additionally, a $50 donation is made for every car sold and two percent of every service appointment goes toward charitable giving.
The CATA has been a longtime supporter of local nonprofit organizations like CASA of River Valley. Since its inception in 2008, the grassroots Chicagoland Dealers Care program has donated more than $130,000 to local charitable organizations. Additionally, since 1992, the association has raised more than $62 million for Chicago-area charities during the annual First Look for Charity black-tie event, traditionally held the evening before the Chicago Auto Show opens to the public.
“We applaud dealers like Ron Tirapelli Ford for their generous contributions year-round to organizations that are making an impact within the local communities they serve,” said CATA President Jennifer Morand. “These charitable efforts exemplify what CATA’s Chicagoland Dealers Care program strives to accomplish. The program not only helps stretch our dealer member’s donation dollars a little further, but it also highlights the charitable work being done by impactful organizations like CASA of River Valley.”
For more details on the Chicagoland Dealers Care program, please visit www.ChicagolandDealersCare.com. For more information about CASA of River Valley, including their upcoming Annual Christmas Express event on December 7 and 8, visit www.CASAofRiverValley.org.
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