From players going above and beyond to seeing their team succeed to parents becoming involved to make sure every event runs smoothly, youth sports in Northwest Indiana ties the community together in a way that few other activities can.
That’s why, when the Northlake Pop Warner Patriots experienced a major setback following a fire that destroyed its equipment, General Manager Frank Kowalski and the rest of the team at Thomas Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Highland knew they had to do something to help.
“We ran a promotion last month to help out,” Kowalski said. “For every car we sold, we would donate $100 to the team to help them recuperate some of their losses.”
The idea for the promotion came as an extension of Thomas Chrysler’s usual support for the Pop Warner team.
“I thought that, as well as us sponsoring the team every year, it'd be a great idea to help them out since they were in desperate need of new equipment,” Kowalski said. “I figured that they would need a lot of help.”
Everyone, from the staff to the community it serves, was excited to help Northlake Pop Warner recover after the loss of its equipment. Many of Thomas Chrysler’s customers are actively involved in Pop Warner, and several who aren’t still involved were previously.
“We have families who are part of the Pop Warner community, who have kids in cheerleading and football. Everybody was really excited that we were able to help out and raise money,” Kowalski said. “People came in not just to buy a car; they were happy that we were doing a good thing and trying to help out the community.”
Kowalski himself has a special connection to Pop Warner. His sons have all gone through the program, and when his wife passed away, the moms involved in the program came together to be there for Kowalski as he navigated this loss. Several of those who supported the campaign have similarly strong connections to the program.
When Thomas Chrysler’s promotion ended, the dealership had sold a total of 50 cars. The company was able to provide Northlake Pop Warner with $5,000 to help recoup the equipment lost in the fire.
“From the owners to the managers to the sales people and all the employees, everybody was really happy that we were able to help out,” Kowalski said.
Beyond personal connections to the organization, Thomas Chrysler’s support of Northlake Pop Warner comes as no surprise. The dealership is always looking for ways to support, improve, and provide for its community.
“We've always tried to help our community. When the Hampton in Highland apartments burnt down a few years back, we did a clothes drive for the displaced residents and ended up filling up three big ProMaster vans with clothes from kids sizes to adult sizes,” Kowalski said. “We're really big into helping out the community and doing everything we can.”
To learn more about how you can directly support Northlake Pop Warner on its recovery efforts, visit the organization’s Facebook page for current fundraisers.
Check out all of the great deals and even greater people supporting Thomas Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM by visiting the dealership in Highland or online.