Photo: Nacogdoches County United Way and Rex Perry Autoplex participating in the first 2013 season Lumberjack football tailgate event. From left are Gary Lee Ashcraft, NCUW president/CEO, Chris Wigington, NCUW campaign co-chair and Rex Perry, owner of Rex Perry Autoplex.
Photo by Erica Pitts.
Business contributes grand prize to United Way for a better community
by Kelly Daniel
Membership and marketing manager
A local businessman with family roots that go deep in to Nacogdoches shows his community support by “driving” a significant fundraiser in Nacogdoches.
On November 14 at 5:30 p.m., Rex Perry, owner of Rex Perry Autoplex, will hold a drawing at the dealership for a grand prize - a brand new Hyundai Accent. Someone will win the car, and the only way to enter is to pledge to the Nacogdoches County United Way’s annual campaign.
“More than anything, the donation of the car has allowed me to see Rex Perry as a person and family man. This is not some publicity stunt to him,” said Chris Wigington, NCUW campaign co-chair. “He and his family truly care about the people of Nacogdoches and personally know some that have been impacted by the generosity of theUnited Way’s programs. He donated the car, because he knows in his heart that the extra incentive it gives will help those who most need the United Way’s help.”
According to Wigington, campaign support from all in the business community is crucial to meeting the goal, $350,000.
“Campaigns are employee-driven plans of action,” Wigington said. “Sure, if a company wants to make a donation to the campaign, that’s fine, but this is the chance for their employees to give back, because we all should be good stewards to the community.”
Nacogdoches County keeps 99 cents out of every dollar collected to fund programs in the county. Many are economic impact programs designed to put people back to work and be productive members of society, and the NCUW partner agencies are held accountable for the programs they put forth. The Community Impact Model that NCUW follows requires performance reviews from the funded agencies. Each must present a plan of action in front of an allocation committee and show results for the grant money they are seeking.
Perry appreciates working with and investing in the United Way, because of the fact that they are diligent in the way they validate each partner agency. “I like sayings, and one of my favorites is ‘it is one of the most beautiful compensations in life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself,’” he said. “I thought even more about that saying when I listened to Doris Berry, last year’s winner of the vehicle, talk about a time when the United Way helped her. It was one of the best talks I’d ever listened to, and a reminder that when you’re able to share, don’t you usually end up feeling pretty good about it yourself? I think any employee of any business will end up in some way feeling good about their decision, if they can make a weekly or monthly contribution to the United Way.”
Wigington challenges “every business in Nacogdoches to run a campaign for their employees, no matter if you have 1 or 100 employees.”
Rex Perry Autoplex is just one of the local businesses that encourage employees to support the UW campaign and the partner agencies. Like other supporters, Perry believes that improving the place we live will make for a better place to do business.
“There won’t ever be anybody that loves East Texas and the town of Nacogdoches more than I do,” Perry said. “I’ve always said that it’s a rare and lucky thing to be able to take your kids hunting on a Saturday morning and to a ballet at a great university in a fine auditorium that night. It just doesn’t get any better than that. It’s rare to be able to have the kind of employees that we do at Rex Perry Autoplex. I wouldn’t be able to provide a vehicle to the United Way if I didn’t have the best people in East Texas working with me every day.”
Perry remembered “seeing many businesses and individuals in Nacogdoches grow and prosper since I started, many years ago, washing cars and changing oil and filters at Kendrick Chrysler-Plymouth. Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve seen my parents Mike and Betty Perry give back part of what they were blessed with, first to the church, and then to others. The example of unselfishness they set for me by doing without many of the material things in life, so that later they could use savings to build buildings and capitalize new automobile dealerships is the very reason I’m compelled to share.”
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More about the Rex Perry Autoplex prize drawings and the Nacogdoches County United Way Employee Contribution Campaign
-- Employees must pledge $4 per week ($208 annually) for one chance to win or $6 per week ($312 annually) for two chances to win a new Hyundai Accent.
-- Deadline for entries is October 31.
-- Five names will be drawn prior to the giveaway. The winner's name will be drawn live during a
party at Rex Perry Autoplex on November 14 at 5:30 p.m.
-- Four runner-up winners will each receive and iPad, also provided by Rex Perry Autoplex.
-- This is the second year Rex has given away a car. Last year's winner was a long time contributor to the NCUW, Doris Berry. She is a medical necessities nurse at Memorial Hospital.
-- More information about the prize giveaway is available at www.rexperryautoplex.com.
-- Go to www.unitedwaynac.com to learn more about the Nacogdoches County United Way.
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