Salvation Army Christmas Giving!

Happy Holidays! The trees are all lit up, and Christmas music fills the air. During the holiday season it is very easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of present shopping. Let us not forget about those who often get overlooked during this busy time of the year.

This month we are collecting canned foods, and new, unwrapped toys for the Salvation Army!

 

This year when you donate, you save! With a donation, you'll receive a $25 credit to  use towards any service, or repair!

Kia AutoSport goes PINK!

It's finally October! The weather is cooling off, and there is a slight pink tent around Tallahassee. You know what that means: Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

This year we are happy to announce that we are a sponsor for the  Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K! This year the 5K will be held on Sunday, October 19th at Cascades Park at 1:00 pm!

It's time to start a team, join a team, or walk as an individual! Register your team early at www.makingstrideswalk.org/leon

"Every Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is a powerful and inspiring opportunity to unite as a community to honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about steps we can take to reduce our risk of getting breast cancer, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with breast cancer research, information and services, and access to mammograms for women who need ...them in Leon county. Since Making Strides began 20 years ago, breast cancer death rates have declined more than 32 percent.

We are making history, and you have the opportunity to be involved in your community." (MSABC)

We are so excited for this event, and can't wait to see you there!

Fighting Fanconi Anemia alongside Kidz1stFund!

All football season long we are raising awareness, and money for Kidz1stFund!


"Jimbo and Candi Fisher have worked closely with several children's charities in the past, but when they were told that their son Ethan had a rare blood disease called Fanconi anemia, their lives immediately changed. They wanted to know everything they could about the disease, but soon found that there wasn't much information available. That's when they knew they had to do something that would not only help their son, but also help the many others affected by Fanconi anemia." (Kidz1stFund)


Kidz1stFund was created to raise awareness and funds in support of research to fight Fanconi anemia, a rare but serious blood disease that affects thousands of children each year. New treatments are being developed, and breakthroughs are on the horizon, but defeating this illness will require the help of generous souls from every walk of life.


Want to know how you can help?


At each Friday Night Block Party, and outside of Doak S. Campbell Stadium for home football games, we will be there collecting donations that go straight to Kidz1stFund! Each donation that we receive we match!


Another way you can help is by joining the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry!


"Virtually every person with FA will require a bone marrow transplant, but sadly some may not find a suitable donor. To remedy this unfortunate situation, join the National Marrow Donor Registry to determine if you are a match for any of the thousands of people whose lives depend on a bone marrow transplant. Visit Be The Match at www.marrow.org to find out how you can help." (Kidz1stFund)

Join us in the fight against Fanconi Anemia and say "I FIGHT FANCONI!"

Cram the Van!

School is just around the corner! This month we are teaming up with The Early Coalition of the Big Bend Region  for Cram the Van! We are asking everyone to stop by and donate school supplies, and children's books! Five items will earn you a $25 dollar off your next service.

 

The Early Learning Coalition is responsible for the administration of School Readiness, and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten programs. The ELC serves Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla county. "The Board and staff have strived to provide a holistic service delivery system that is responsive to needs of families and communities while maintaining effective and efficient business practices supporting the following primary goals: Children are ready for success when they enter school; and Families have access to the quality child care services and assistance they need." (The Early Coalition of the Big Bend Region)

 

 Join us in helping the ELC make sure every child has the necessary tools, and supplies to prepare them for success in school!

Collecting food for Second Harvest of the Big Bend!

    

 

This month is all about Second Harvest of the Big Bend! Every year we designate a month to collect canned goods for Second Harvest. They are a vital program in the fight against hunger in Tallahassee, Florida.  Just in the Big Bend alone 44,000 people a month are fed because of the efforts of Second Harvest. We have a month long incentive program set up so that if you bring in 10 canned goods you will receive $25 off the charge of your service!!! Now that we have your attention let us tell you about what an amazing foundation Second Harvest of the Big Bend is!

If you’ve never volunteered at a Food Bank it’s hard to image what goes on behind the scenes. Second Harvest of the Big Bend has multiple different food programs they manage that helps them collect 5.5 million pounds of food annually! Below is an overview of all of the programs that Second Harvest of the Big Bend puts on throughout the year! After reading, we have no doubt that you will feel inclined to donate and contribute to their amazing mission!

Food Bank Operations-

The food bank operation is the heart and soul of Second Harvest.  They collect, store, and distribute 5.5 million pounds of food annually! First, the food is donated or acquired by Second Harvest. Then the food is distributed to more than 135 partner agencies; these agencies give the food to those directly in need of it.

Brown Bags for Seniors-

This generous program provides grocery items for more than 430 elderly in our community!  The seniors that receive this service are either on a fixed-income or impoverished.

Child Nutrition Program-

1 in 4 children in the Big Bend struggle with hunger daily.  Second Harvest strives to keep working as hard as they can until the day that no child in the Big Bend goes a day without food hungry. 

Backpack Program-

This service provides 350 bags of food weekly to children in school so they will have food for the weekend. This allows the children to worry less about where their next meal will come from and more about staying in school and doing their homework.

 Summer Food Program-

The summer can be a hard time for a child if you don’t know where your next meal is coming from. That is why Second Harvest of the Big Bend supplies 6,216 meals and snack to children in the summer months.

Second Harvest of the Big Bend supplies incredible amounts of food to the counties it services. However, they can’t do it alone! As of right now only 7% of the food comes from food drives. Kia Autosport is determined to drive that number up! This is our community and it’s our turn to give back too. 

Throughout the month of February we will be collecting perishable and non-perishable food items to be gifted to Second Harvest of the Big Bend! Keep an eye out for posts on our social media pages because we will have weekly specials and promotions benefiting Second Harvest and you! On March 1st we will have a BBQ here at the dealership as one last push to collect the most food possible. At the BBQ we will have contests, prizes, and a big give away! We hope to see you there!

         We need everyone’s help on this!! Every year we push to collect more food than the last. Check your cabinets and pantries and try to find some items to donate to those in need! For more information on how you can get involved with Second Harvest of the Big Bend visit their website!

http://www.fightinghunger.org/

 

Winter in Florida!

The abnormally cold temperatures here in Florida have us all layering up in our warmest clothes. If you live in areas with snow then you're most likely more prepared than us Floridians. As a result of this change in weather, we have decided to draft up some cold weather car tips! Now you can be extra prepared for the rest of this winter season!

Here are our Top Ten tips for ensuring your car is in perfect running order for winter:

1. When you go out for routine maintenance, put a little extra effort for your battery and charging system in the winter season. Make sure they’re working efficiently. You see in the wintertime, the cranking power your battery gives out is greatly reduced. You’re going to have problems with starting your car if you don’t check on this in routine maintenance in winter. Make sure you bring a portable power pack or quality jumper cables in the trunk of your car when you’re driving in the cold.
2. Other parts to check into are your heater and your defrosters. Make sure they’re in good operating condition. Also, check your wiper blades.If they’re brittle or worn, replace them. If they’re smeary, replace them. It will be hard for you to see if your wipers don’t work well.
3. Winter driving will be easier for you if you check your filters, hoses and coolant. Filters for gas, air and oil have to be in good condition and your coolant level as well as your hermostat has to be fully functional so you can guarantee proper engine warmup. After every two years, your coolant has to be changed. Don’t forget your coolant tank pressure cap or your radiator cap. Hoses with leaks on it or feel soft need to be replaced.
4. One of the important things to remember before driving out in winter is lubrication. Use something like a multiviscosity oil like Mobil 1 0W30 or the 5W30. This will help you with engine startup. When temperatures drop, you need to have lubrication like fully synthetic oils to protect your engine. A tip to note is that when you use low viscosity oil, you have more speed with startup and you also reduce wear and tear on your car engine parts when the oil flows quickly in startup.
5. With regard to the condition of your tires, tread and pressure matter when you’re driving in cold weather. Check your tires for wear. Just like in normal temperatures, your tire air pressure has to be exact, anything over or under the recommended pressure is undesirable. You’ll be wearing your tire out more and using up more fuel if your tires are low in pressure. Overinflation and you reduce traction for your tires which can be very dangerous for you when you’re driving in cold weather conditions.
6. Vehicle warm-up is another way to ensure the upkeep of your car in winter. When you start your car, run it idly for a few seconds. This will ensure that lubrication has already gone through the engine and this provides you with protection. Again, it’s only for a few seconds. If you keep your car running idly for a long time, you’re will be wasting fuel and it will do nothing for your car. After a few idle moments, drive extra slowly.
7. This next tip for winter car maintenance relates to number six. You have to drive slowly. Keep yourself within bounds of speed limits and if possible drive a notch or two slower than that. Drive a distance away from other cars. Pace yourself while your drive so you don’t need to make sudden stops.
8. If you live in a place where snow comes in spades, have a few tools with you when you drive like de-icers, window ice scrapers, and a small shovel. Keep these tools in your trunk. You’ll use the de-icers for your locks just in case and if you have to dig out of snow, you can do it with ease using your shovel. It’s also good for your car if you keep a bag of sand in the trunk. This will provide you with traction if you have a rear wheel drive vehicle. Sprinkle the sand on the snow or ice if you need traction. Pack a blanket along in your car. That’s just in case you get stuck in a snow storm.
9. Drive in the snow fully equipped and this means, your rear window defroster has to be in good working order. Keep your window washer reservoir full. In your attempt to see clearly in inclement weather, these two thing will guarantee that. Don’t forget to check your fuel levels before you set out. You don’t want to get stranded in heavy snowfall.
10. Lastly, clean your car out of ice and snow and we mean your whole car.