“At Chapel Hill, we are drinking from wells we did not dig,” says Marc Pons, the dealership’s CEO. “We are the beneficiaries of a lot of things we did not create, so it’s in our DNA to give back.”
Pons says this is why Chapel Hill Tire, a 10-location dealership headquartered in Chapel Hill, N.C., created its 12 Days of Kindness giveaway, which began on Dec. 11 and runs through Dec. 22.
Through the program, 12 community members will receive $1,000 in free car care.
Pons says Chapel Hill has been doing some sort of Christmas giveaway for more than 10 years. It used to be “something small like bringing three cans of canned food to the dealership and receiving $15 off an oil change.”
But it wasn’t until COVID-19 that the 12 Days of Kindness giveaway was born.
“We changed it from 12 Days of Christmas to 12 Days of Kindness because we felt the world could use some more kindness and then we started talking about how it might inspire other folks to do good,” says Pons.
This year's 12 Days of Kindness promotion, done across all Chapel Hill Tire locations, allows community members to nominate their neighbors or friends – even if they are not Chapel Hill customers. A committee narrows the field down and a new winner is announced each day.
“We went out and asked the community, ‘Who do you know that could use a Christmas miracle?’ or ‘Who is always giving (of) themselves and never asking for anything in return?’”
Chapel Hill sent out email blasts to customers, promoted 12 Days of Kindness on Facebook and ran some radio ads to spread the word.
Pons says that there were more than 100 nominations this year.
Miracle on Chapel Hill
A thousand dollars in repairs is a substantial amount, says Pons.
“But the truth is, the majority of the winners are going to exceed the $1,000 mark just to get their vehicles up and running. We just do what it takes to get these people on the road. It does not matter the cost. We just put $1,000 on the promotion to have a number value.”
Pons believes that small businesses are the “unsung heroes” of their communities and they are the “glue that keeps communities together.”
And he believes it's important to give back.
“One of our core values is ‘Be grateful and helpful.’ And this is how we live out that core code.”
The first 12 Days of Kindness winner, John Rugabo, sent the Chapel Hill Tire team a letter, thanking them for the giveaway.
“My family and I thank you for the help you have given us this year to repair our car, which (will) help me to go until I will be able to start a job,” he wrote.
“It’s overwhelming to me to get $1,000 in repairs, but for you to have taken care of everything - a total of $2,296 – thank you for your kindness.”
