GAINSVILLE, Ga., Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Jerry Gordon, Branch Manager for the electrical wholesale distributor, City Electric Supply (CES), gets in the holiday spirit every year with his family by sponsoring a child in need of Christmas presents. Another one of his favorite hobbies is taking a few of his special vehicles to car shows throughout the year. When he combined both of his passions, something great happened: through a car show, the CES Gainesville branch raised $5,702 for White County Family Connection, donating toys for over 150 families in need this Christmas season in just several hours.
"I have four cars that I show all the time and help raise money for various groups," said Jerry. "We 'adopted' a family one Christmas, and I thought, 'What if we could take this to another level with a car show?' Then we could help a bunch of families, not just one."
Jerry got the idea to use his cars for a showcase and raise money for the White County Family Connection Christmas program partnered with the local school system. The organization helps deliver toys to children and families in need during the Christmas season.
"We want to send a massive thank you to City Electric Supply for their help this year," said White County Family Connection Coordinator Cheyenne Brunet. "They filled over eight tables with presents- you couldn't see from one side of the room to the other! We can't wait to continue this partnership with the Gainesville branch."
"My entire team just wanted to do something to help," said Jerry. "I know Christmas isn't about having stuff, but I can't imagine these kids waking up that morning and not getting anything."
Everyone at the branch had all hands-on deck, working hard to make the car show the best it could be. Jerry himself hand-made all 35 trophies for the various categories the cars could win. Businesses beside the CES branch were lending their parking lot space for the event. Soon, the branch had over 92 cars in the parking lot, coming from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and even from Texas.
Members of the CES Gainesville team were able to put their hobbies to use to help the cause as well.
"Our Salesman Jimmy Harris did all of the BBQ for us," said Jerry. "He does a lot of BBQ competitions, so no one was surprised at how good the food was."
Vendors were showing their support as well, donating products to the branch so every person who came out to the event could leave with something. Gift bags were available to everyone, and included CES hats, cups, and shirts.
Working at CES for 21 years, Jerry has seen a lot happen in his time with the company. With so many memorable events happening throughout the day; seeing the community come together to donate materials and time is what touched the CES team more than donations.
"We had people sitting around in the grass, just talking, laughing, and having a good time," said Jerry. "Watching people come together, getting to know one another, that's the stuff that warms my heart.
When getting the word out to the community at the event, one long-time customer of the Gainesville branch decided to donate $2,000 alone.
"I'm sure I had a dumbfounded look on my face," Jerry laughed.
While most people will tell you the event is all about the spirit of giving, for Jerry, it also has a personal meaning. Going through a heart transplant in March, having his CES family support him every step of the way meant the world. He's been committed to giving back to his community since.
"I've been with CES for a long time. When I had my heart transplant back in March, everyone got behind me 100 percent and showed their support," said Jerry. "If everyone can get behind me during a tough time, I figured, there has to be something that I'm able to do that helps out others."
With this year's car show being such a success, CES Gainesville can't wait to plan the next one.
About City Electric Supply (CES) is a family-owned electrical wholesale distributor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1951 by Tom Mackie in the United Kingdom and expanded to the United States in 1983. Today, CES employs more than 3,000 people in over 500 branches across the U.S.
CES is dedicated to providing personalized service and support for customers in the residential, commercial, and industrial marketplace. While CES is a large company, it prides itself in keeping its founding principle of empowering people to make local business decisions by providing customers tailored services for all their electric supply needs.
###
Media Contact:
Emily Davis
Public Relations Specialist
City Electric Supply
[email protected]
Media Contact
Emily Davis, City Electric Supply, 214-462-7052, [email protected]
Janan Buisier, City Electric Supply, 214-462-7052, [email protected]
SOURCE City Electric Supply
Share this article