For this week’s episode of Miracle Ford podcast, host John Haggard talks to Jim Galvin, Miracle Ford’s General Manager, about the company’s altruistic efforts. This 15-minute chat covers:

• Jim’s Humble Beginnings at Miracle Ford
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• The Company’s Support for the Susan G Komen’s Organization
• Ford’s “Drive for your School” Program
• “Galvin Cares”, The Company’s Christmas Program
• “Best Buddies” Program
• The Story Behind Miracle Ford’s “Gong”
• The Miracle Auto Group
• Miracle Ford’s Future Plans
• How to Connect with Jim Galvin

Transcript

John Haggard 0:02
Welcome to the Miracle Ford podcast where throughout the month you’ll be able to learn the best ways to purchase, lease, service and maintain, accessorize, and sell your vehicle for the highest resale value possible when you’re ready to do it. You’ll also find out about new technology on new vehicles. I’m your host, John Haggard and throughout each month right here, we’ll have different team members join us from Miracle Ford to bring you tips you can use. You’ll also see a transcript of each podcast so you can easily refer back to it something maybe you heard want to get it at your fingertips, not have to listen to the entire podcast again. It’s all typewritten, right there for you. Today we’re visiting again with Jim Galvin. He’s the general manager of Miracle Ford in Gallatin. Today’s topic is what Miracle Ford does off the field so to speak as a community advocate and partner. So hey, Jim, welcome to the podcast.

Jim Galvin 0:53
John, good afternoon. Great to be back.

John Haggard 0:56
Well, glad to have you back. You know, since we spoke last we learned how you started out in the car business. I think back in 1984 you were washing cars for your dad if I recall properly working your way up through college at MTSU and that you got to then work in each department at Miracle Ford. I think you said you were a service advisor, then over to the parts counter, over to the used car sales department, to sales manager, to GSM – general sales manager, and now to general manager as well as part owner. Did I get all that right?

Jim Galvin 1:28
ou got all that right. It seemed like yesterday believe it or not. Time flies.

John Haggard 1:32
It does! I counted that up about well, maybe over 33 years, I guess that you have been doing this?

Jim Galvin 1:41
It’s amazing, it really is. The car business has been good to me and my family and our community and I just can’t thank it enough.

John Haggard 1:48
Well, it you know, time really does fly, there’s no question about it. You know, as we know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And Miracle Ford’s been involved in helping increase awareness of this disease really for some time now. Tell us, there are a lot of charities out there, a lot of individuals and companies that a company like Miracle Ford could support. How did you or how did Miracle Ford become involved with breast cancer?

Jim Galvin 2:11
It got started probably about 15 years ago, we partner with Ford Motor Company, and they were really big with Susan G. Komen. And we all know with Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest non-profit breast cancer organization. You know, funded breast cancer research by providing real-time health, for those that really need it because of this bad disease. And we decided, you know what, we want to partner with Ford Motor Company, and we wanted to go a little bit more extra. So we and Ford Motor Company came out with a program, which was a great program. It was called and it still called today is the Ford Warriors in Pink. And what that means, and what our mission is, is to dedicate helping those that are touched by breast cancer through actions, support, inspire, empower, things that we could do to help make this disease get rid of it, and we could support it tremendously.

Now Ford Motor Company has been doing this for a long time. I mean, they’ve been doing this since 1993. And we felt like you know what, we want to make things even better. So our dealership promotes breast cancer awareness, Susan G. Komen in the month of October and we decorate, John, our whole dealership in pink. And it’s pretty cool. Our sales department, our parts department, supervisors all dress and pink. And we donate funds. Now when I say funds, like for every new car, Rio, every part that sold, for every service come in, we give a portion of our profit to Susan G. Komen Warriors in Pink. So we can make this a research where we could really fight this disease and make someone or some people happy.

John Haggard 4:06
Got it. Well, you know, we also understand that Ford has a drive for your school event each year. And I think you have been participating in that as well.

Jim Galvin 4:15
I am at the program which, think about, is the program for local communities, schools, I say schools, high schools, grade schools, middle schools, for all their athletic programs, their music, and art programs, whatever programs that they want, they need to make money. And it’s hard for schools to make money because they got to work so hard. Car washes, bake sales… this seems like it’s not enough money out there. Ford Motor Company came out with a program and this program is called “Drive for your School”. And they have raised over $50 million in the last 12 years.

John Haggard 4:56

Wow.

Jim Galvin 4:58
And it’s very simple. I mean, we dedicate cars to the school. And we get people to drive cars. And for every test drive, and they don’t have to drive very far, Ford donates – this is Ford Motor Company – donates $20 per test drive up to $6,000.

John Haggard 5:15

Man, yeah. Wow.

Jim Galvin 5:18
Take 300 drivers in a period of two and a half to three hours, it’s a lot of money. And when they see this check it’s like, you know what we could do so much with this. And it works. I have schools call me during the spring and fall, can I get involved in this “Drive for your School”, it’s a great fundraiser, we need it. And I try to support every school and community in Summer County where our home is at Miracle Ford. And I try to make sure that we can get the $6,000 to them because they deserve it. It’s hard for schools to make money. And I think what Ford Motor Company is doing, with where we’d give them the vehicles for them to test drive, is fantastic. It’s probably one of the best programs I’ve ever seen. It’s probably the easiest fundraising program I’ve ever witnessed.

John Haggard 6:03
You know, it really is just sit down in the car, turn it on, put your foot on the accelerator, and then on the brake and you’re and you’re done. Little short distance there. That’s so that’s a wonderful idea. You said how many years that’s been going on?

Jim Galvin 6:15
They’re going on their 12th year.

John Haggard 6:16
Okay. All right, 12th year, 12th year.

Jim Galvin 6:18
And think about that. I mean, they do it twice a year, spring and fall, and think about all the dealerships around the United States. But over 50 million, it’s just amazing how much of the community that Ford Motor Company is involved in. And what we’re doing here in our local area with summer County.

John Haggard 6:35
$50 million! I mean that’s phenomenal! I mean, so what a number that is, and I guess there are some other community events as well that Miracle Ford participates in.

Jim Galvin 6:46
We support Galvin cares during Christmas time. Yeah, all of their canned goods. We like to help people that need it the most with the food. And we go out and gather all the canned goods we can. We fill it up in the back of the pickup truck, which is absolutely filled overboard over the bed. And then they come and pick it up and it gives a way of them feeding people. And we try to do that every year. One of my favorite and most down to heart is called the best buddies program. And to me, it goes back to my values into my family and enter the best buddy event we’ve been doing now for the last four years. Anthony K. Shriver, the founder, and CEO of this program, and he started his program in 1984. And what this program is, John was best buddy. It’s kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities that don’t have a chance to do things like things that we would want to do.

And if you think about it, John, I mean, my child or anybody that goes to school, and they sit by themselves, and they see other kids with other people, or they go to a store or go bowling, it can’t do these things because they have this disability. Best Buddies brings this out to them. It’s a way that you can interact with these kids. And I say these kids are special, they want to be treated like other people.

John Haggard 8:10
Right.

Jim Galvin 8:11
And they become their friends and they go out and do things with them. You know, they go to movies with them, they go to social events, they go to proms. I mean, we dedicate Miracle Ford each year, the Best Buddy prom at Bridgestone Arena. And these kids, I mean, it’s a delight. They dress up in their prom uniforms, tuxedos, gowns, and they actually go to prom. The Nashville Predators also sponsors this and they do it in their arena Bridgestone, on the flo