Liberty Ford donating van to Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland

Partnership includes career development for teens

Liberty Ford is donating a 15-passenger van to Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland and is partnering with the organization to train teens for careers in automobile sales and service after high school.

This is the fifth van donated to BGCC by Liberty Ford. The vans are vital to the organization’s programming because so many arts, sports, music and community activities require kids to be transported either between Clubs or to other sites, according to Ron Soeder, BGCC’s president and CEO.

In addition, Soeder said, the vans enable kids to have new experiences, such as visiting colleges, taking field trips to museums or attending sporting events. The newest van – complete with a customized wrap designed by a Club member Kamden Pearson – will be officially turned over to the Clubs during a 4:15 p.m. ceremony today at the dealership, 5500 Warrensville Center Road, Maple Heights.

“Liberty Ford has been a real difference-maker for our kids,” Soeder said.

He added, “This transportation really opens up new worlds for our kids. Without it, we would not be able to offer many of our programs and our kids would be denied so many rich experiences.”

Soeder thanked Liberty Ford Chief Executive Officer Michael Herrick and Chief Operating Officer Dustin Peugeot, a BGCC board member, for their efforts in helping the organization create a fleet of vans to transport members.

The partnership between Liberty Ford and Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland extends well beyond the van donations. Liberty was one of the first companies to participate in BGCC’s workforce development program, one in which teens who follow a training program, stay out of trouble and graduate are eligible to start a career after high school; several teens from the program will be at the Jan. 24 event.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland provides safe, fun places for kids after school. The organization, which has 15 locations in Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland and Garfield Heights, served about 8,600 youths last year.

About Liberty Ford

Liberty Auto Group is Ohio’s no. 1 Ford dealership, with locations in Maple Heights, Parma Heights, Brunswick, Solon and Vermilion. The company, founded in 1980, now employs about 400 people.