A well-known name in Hollywood is rallying to help New Jersey auto dealers and their work on postiviely impacting the lives of ill children all over the country.
Rosario Dawson, well known for her roles in projects such as “The Mandalorian”, “Top Five”, “Rent”, and “Sin City” — and to be seen in the upcoming Hulu limited series “Dopesick” — has joined the New Jersey Auto Retailers Unite campaign as the celebrity spokesperson. She will be featured in a public service announcement expected to be launched in mid-September.
Dawson joins more than 200 franchised New Jersey new car and truck dealerships, that have participated in a variety of New Jersey Auto Retailers Unite fundraising campaigns since 2014. The group of dealers have collectively raised over $2,259,000 since 2014, impacting the lives of more than 6,000 children with cancer, sickle cell disease and other blood disorders treated by The Valerie Fund each year. The fund, launched in 1977, has helped tens of thousands of critically ill children to recieve state of the art medical treatment and customized health care services at one of seven Valerie Fund Children’s Centers located close to their homes.
“New Jersey’s 500-plus franchised neighborhood new car and truck dealerships are the backbone of their communities and support local organizations in hundreds of different ways,” said Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (N.J. CAR), in a news release. “These entrepreneurs compete for customers every day, but they can also unite behind a worthwhile cause.”
Celebrity spokesperson Dawson will be assisting the New Jersey Auto Retailers Unite Campaign goal this year of raising $500,000. Nearly 80 dealers have alreay contributed more than $270,000 — even before the two-month campaign official launched on Sept. 1.
The Sept. 1 date was chosen to coincide with this month’s national recognition of Pediatric Cancer Awareness and Sickle Cell Awareness.
Rosario Dawson has joined the New Jersey Auto Retailers Unite campaign as the celebrity spokesperson. (Photo courtesy of N.J. CAR)
This year’s campaign will focus on educating the public about Sickle Cell Disease, in particular. The Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Newark Beth Israel treats more sickle cell patients than any other hospital in New Jersey and is recognized as a Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, the campaign said in a press release.
“New Jersey’s dealerships are coming together, across all brands, to pay it forward and support the thousands of brave children treated by The Valerie Fund each year, and their families,” said Judith Schumacher-Tilton, N.J. CAR chairwoman and owner of the Schumacher Auto Group. “It is especially important to support the hundreds of children with Sickle Cell disease treated at Valerie Fund Centers. This is an incurable disease that effects an underserved population.”
For more information about the New Jersey Auto Retailers Unite campaign, The Valerie Fund or the services provided at The Valerie Fund Children’s Centers, interested parties can contact Randi Zamkotowicz, Valerie Fund assistant director of development for philanthropy at (201) 993-3787; or Brian Hughes, NJ CAR director of communications.
N.J. CAR was in dealer news as the year kicked off, as well.
Vice president of the Mahwah Board of Education, Rick DeSilva Jr., owner of Liberty Subaru in Emerson, N.J., TIME and Ally Financial recognized him as the 2021TIME Dealer of the Year. DeSilva has served on the board of trustees for the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers since 2008. He was chairman in 2017.
Source : AutoFinanceNews
