Valley Automall dealers donate $35,000 to local charities

Automobile dealers in the Valley Automall converged on Lexus of Henderson recently to again present Twelve Days of Christmas and help 14 Southern Nevada charities.

Each of the 14 nonprofits received a check for $2,500 during festivities at Lexus of Henderson.

The organizations receiving donations included the YMCA, Injured Police Officer’s Fund, Shade Tree, Boulder City Veterans Home, HopeLink of Southern Nevada, Veteran’s Village, Grant a Gift Autism Foundation, Red Cross, Family Promise of Las Vegas, Nevada Partnership of Homeless Youth, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, SAFE House, Emergency Aid of Boulder City and Youth Charities of Southern Nevada.

The Valley Automall in Henderson was created by the team of automobile executives Greg Heinrich, Cliff Findlay, Larry Carter and Don Ackerman as the largest automobile auto mall in the country during the 1990s, and it remains one of the largest auto malls in the world.

Not only has the Valley Automall turned into a buzz of activity for those searching for a vehicle; it has also become the home of the Twelve Days of Christmas, which presents checks to nonprofits every December.

Findlay Automotive Group CFO Tyler Corder said the members of the Valley Automall started the 12 Days of Christmas in 2014.

“The Valley Automall Owner’s Association made the decision to make the holidays brighter for local charities with the 12 Days of Christmas donations,” Corder said. “The association is comprised of the owners of the various dealerships located in the Valley Automall.

Corder explained that the promotion has grown each year.

“In the first three years we made donations to 12 charities,” he said. “Last year we added two additional charities so now we’re making donations to 14 charities.

“We’ve grown over the years with the support of the community, so we look at these donations as a small way to give back to the community that has been so good to us,” Corder said.

Stacey Lockhart, executive director for HopeLink of Southern Nevada, was among the many who praised the Valley Automall for its efforts to help others.

“I think that it’s amazing,” Lockhart said of the Twelve Days of Christmas. “It’s an extra boost at this time of the year. I’m a born fundraiser anyway, and this is a real shot in the arm.

“In the blink of an eye, you can lose everything. Nobody wants to be homeless, especially during the holidays, so HopeLink works to keep families intact. It’s all about housing.”

Lockhart has personally experienced a house fire, so she knows firsthand how quickly a good situation can turn into a bad one.

Terri Janison, president and CEO of Grant a Gift Autism Foundation, echoed the appreciation of the Valley Automall’s efforts to help others.

“Grant a Gift is honored to be a chosen charity each year,” said Janison, who has been in her current position for the past two years. “The support means so much to the families we service.”