Sheehy Auto Stores President Vince Sheehy considers moments like these the most rewarding of his profession.
"The Sheehy 8000 is one of our most significant annual sales events and fundraising partnerships," Sheehy told Mega Dealer News. "My feeling is we’ve been blessed and had a lot of good things come our way to the point that I consider it to be almost an obligation to be as supportive as we can in our community.”
With that in mind, the Fairfax, Virginia-based chain of dealerships recently launched its 23rd annual Sheehy 8000 Sales Race, a community-wide initiative in which all 29 auto stores raise funds and awareness to benefit the American Heart Association (AHA). This year’s event kicked off on July 17 and runs through Sept. 8.
Over that time, each of the company’s dealerships, from Virginia to the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metro areas, will lead various initiatives in support of the effort, including hosting virtual events to engage the community in ways to stay heart-healthy and safe while maintaining social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Making money selling cars is great, but what’s really important is making sure we’re making a difference in the community by looking outward instead of inward,” Sheehy said.
To date, the events have raised more than $1.6 million for the AHA, including over $300,000 last year.
“We get a lot of benefit from each community, and this is one way we try to give back in the places we do business,” Sheehy said. “And this is one event where we can work with all our vendors and partners. It’s really a coming together of everyone we work with as we all get out the word on what it means to be heart-healthy.”
A family-owned business with more than five decades of experience, Sheehy Auto Stores rates as the 37th largest dealer group in the country and one of the largest in the Mid-Atlantic region. The company has now grown to top $1.6 billion in annual sales from the more than 45,000 new and used vehicles it sells each year.
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