Community Service:

An important part of our success is the support of our loyal friends and customers through some worthwhile causes with our time and financial support. While we admire the tireless efforts of all community service organizations and the many volunteers, we all have pet projects. We wish we could support each and every one, and seeing the organizations listed below I think we support our fair share!!! It is our position to first support the efforts of our customers; next we support efforts where ethical sense leads us.

Our door is always open to listen to legitimate efforts whether it is funding Girl Scout Cookies, being a Boy Scout Pine Wood Derby Judge or Youth Go-Cart Racing, Junior Hockey Teams, Dewitt T-Ball and Soft Ball Sports with Playing Field Fencing; The Heart Association with auction items, or The Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish Foundation; The Diabetes Association - Vera House - with matching dollar for dollar donations, or Hospice and Francis House with financial support.

We support the efforts of LeMoyne College, Onondaga Community College and Morrisville College, with time and mentoring; Syracuse University Sports and Jim Boehiem’s Coaches vs. Cancer through sponsorships, donations, public speaking and mentoring. Yes those basketballs in the back court have our name on them!!!! A Five Dollar donation and a perfect 25 Foot jump-shot is all you need to get one, while they last!! We lend space and meeting rooms to The Onondaga and NYS Medical Assistants Association and speak at The Onondaga-Madison B.O.C.E.S. Career Days and even speak at the Syracuse Dentists Association.

We offer continuing support to the Onondaga Traffic Safety Council as a Board Member from 1997-2005 and continue to assist them with safe driving radio spots. We often speak at Manlius Pebble Hill School Driven Education-Scared Straight Night. Our 36 Hours of Music on 105.9 FM each Christmas is completely geared toward Stop DWI Programs. Our radio and billboards support efforts of the N.Y.S. Troopers’ Stop DWI Efforts, Stop DWI and ZERO-Tolerance Road Checkpoints programs within the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Youth Drivers. The Syracuse Police and most Local Police agencies all benefit from our DWI awareness ads. We’ve spoken at the Syracuse City Schools’ Internship and Career Days and participate in Central Technical Continuing Education Internship Programs. We participate in high school Stop DWI Programs with Prom Night and the NYS State Fair with displays of wrecked cars. We include Stopped School Bus Awareness with our radio ads in late summer and fall with dollars and time. We’ve given away over 100 Free Baby Seats to needy families and support programs for proper baby seat use.

We gave up our billboard space for Click-It-Or-Ticket banners. We speak at Mothers Against Driving Drunk (MADD) seminars. We have lent our time and effort to The Prevention Network for teen anti-substance abuse programs; The Holy Virgin Mary School - our local neighborhood Church - that works with inner city children. Our goal is to give back and make a difference, we hope it helps.

We were given a Community Service Award in 2004 for Outstanding Support of the Stop DWI Program. In Honor of my Father we gave a $5000 endowment to Manlius Pebble-Hill School for the, “NICK ORSO-BODY SHOP” workout room. A plaque marks the room as a place to, “BUILD BODY AND MIND” in honor of NICK ORSO. My Father loved kids and would have smiled to see that. We sponsor and support the Syracuse Corvette Club. For Years we offered the use of our grounds for VETTES-N-BARBEQUE. As many as 100 beautiful Corvettes graced our lot on some sunny Father’s Days along with overflowing food from the smoker from the Dinosaur Bar-b-que! We sponsor the CNY Region Porsche Club, the All Ford-Mustang Club, and even the GTO Club of Maine!

For many years we worked in the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) obtaining lifetime recognition for our efforts in technician training and education in the CNY Region. We were recognized for our involvement in I-CAR Gold Class development. We are life-time members of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. We are members of the Auto Rebuilders Association of Greater Syracuse and The New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association and The Coalition for Collision Repair Equality, The Insurance Consumer Advocate Network (I-CAN) and The Assured Performance Network.

We will not participate in any program where employees are paid exorbitant salaries or where any more than 80% of the donation goes to fund lavish expense accounts, expensive dinners or trips. The staff must be largely volunteers and the efforts have a goal of making the place we live in and breathe in better. Feel free to submit your request for consideration. Thank you to all involved!

Sincerely,

Mike Orso, President