We all know a hero, a teacher, nurse, first responder, whoever it may be Hyundai wants to make sure they feel appreciated. Mass Appeal’s Kayla Hevey spoke with Carla Cosenzi, Dealer Principal at Country Hyundai, to share how the hero in your life can win a 2023 Hyundai Tucson in Hyundai’s Salute to Heroes.
To watch the full interview, click the link below!
Baystate Medical Center will be receiving a $100,000 grant from Hyundai Hope on Wheels, aimed at ending childhood cancer.
Every 36 Minutes, a child in the United States is diagnosed with pediatric cancer. The Hyundai Hope on Wheels non-profit organization has awarded more than 1,000 grants over the last 24 years to fund critical research and work towards ending childhood cancer.
The grant will also fund the child life program that helps pairs children and their families with specialists during procedures, helping them with activities during long transfusions or chemotherapy as well as helping them keep up with their school work if they are in the hospital for a long time.
To see the full video, click the link below!
The Western Mass Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad is back, recognizing those who go above and beyond to serve their community. In this month’s edition of Surprise Squad: Cool Schools, we are celebrating an educator who is also the “team mom” of the Springfield Central High School Golden Eagles football team.
Ms. Tammy Jones teaches math at the school, but she also is the “team mom” of their nationally ranked team.
“She runs the booster club. She runs our concession stands. She does everything,” said Springfield Central High School head football coach William Watson.
“Wow, you can see all the passion and emotion she has for all of the students here and especially this football team and I am so honored to be here and be able to celebrate her and spoil her a little bit because you can see she goes above and beyond. You can see why they call her the mom of everyone here at the school,” Cosenzi added.
To see the full video, click the link below!
For the 14th consecutive year, the Cosenzi family held its “Driving for the Cure” charity golf tournament in honor of the cancer victim patriarch of the family.
Tom Cosenzi, the owner of the Tommy Car auto dealerships, was in the prime of life, a life cut short by brain cancer. His children began this tradition of “Driving for the Cure”, an annual event that has so far raised upwards of $1.5 million for Cancer research..
Carla Cosenzi told 22News, “This is in memory of my dad Tom Costenzi, who was diagnosed in 2007, and at the age of fifty two, passed away in 2009.
All the money raised during the 14th annual fund raising golf tournaments at Longmeadow’s Twin Hills Country Club go directly to Dr. Patrick Wen and his team of researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
“Dr. Wen was able to able to keep my dad alive for a little over two years, when the life expectancy was only six months,” Cosenzi said. “So we’re honored to help support the cause, to help other people not have to endure the type of pain my dad or my family went through.”
To see the full interview, click the link below!
The Tommy Car Auto Group held its annual Driving for a Cure Golf Tournament. It was held at Twin Hills Country Club on Shaker Road in Longmeadow.
Carla and Tom hold the event each year to honor their father Tom’s memory, and raise money for brain cancer research.
They have now raised over $1.4 million to support the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Over 40 teams of golfers took part. There were several raffle prizes, an auction, and a pig-roast dinner for the hundreds of attendees.
To see the full interview, click the link below!
School is back in session and so is the Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad. This month, we’re recognizing a Springfield educator who goes above and beyond not only for the students in his classroom, but for his entire community. With a nickname to match his positive energy and infectious smile, John Morgan can brighten any room, but in this case the field outside the Brookings School.
It was a beautiful September day in Springfield and the sun was shining outside Brookings Elementary School when dozens of students, teachers, and community members were waiting to surprise the real sunshine, who was behind a set of doors. “He’s just a fantastic guy and does so much not only for school, but for church, for community,” said Sabrena Brantley.
“It’s really easy to understand now why his nickname is ‘Mr. Sunshine’ because he does change the whole energy in a room or a crowd when he walks in,” Cosenzi noted.
To see the full video, click the link below!
Surprise Squad honors Brooking’s Elementary’s ‘Mr. Sunshine’
The Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad is in full swing and in this month’s edition, we are recognizing an educator who volunteers her time to help underserved youth.
We are headed over to Phoenix Charter Academy in Springfield to surprise Nana Shirley. She has been a volunteer there since 2017 and Nana Shirley is a young 85 years old
Once we arrived, it was nothing but high praise for Nana Shirley. “Anything we ask her to do, she is always willing to do it. Sometimes we will say, ‘Nana, we will take care of it.’ She says, ‘No Mr. Johnson, it’s alright.’ It’s a great relief for all of us, in all honesty,” said Phoenix Charter Academy Head of School Calvin Johnson.
“We are all here for Nana Shirley and she deserves this surprise big time,” said Carla Cosenzi, president of Country Hyundai.
To see the full video, click the link below!
Surprise Squad honors special Springfield charter school volunteer
A local non-profit is driving more than cars. The 14th Annual Tom Cosenzi Driving For The Cure Charity Golf Tournament is an event to raise money for brain tumor research in honor of the late Tom Consenzi. Joining us in a segment sponsored by TommyCar Auto Group is Carla Consenzi, president of the TommyCar Auto Group.
To see the full video, click the link below
The 14th annual Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Golf Tournament is a little over a month away. The annual fundraiser raises money for neuro-oncology research in honor of Tom Cosenzi, who died from brain cancer in 2009. Since the tournament started, it has raised $1.3 million dollars for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Western Mass News spoke with his daughter, Carla Cosenzi, president of TommyCar Auto Group, on Friday as event draws closer.
“We have golf, we have a ton of new on-the-course events we are really excited about. Raffles, silent auction, live auction, Dave Madsen is emceeing this year. New York Sound and Motion is filming to do a recap video. We have a cocktail hour followed by a dinner. It should be a really great time,” Cosenzi explained.
To see the full video, click the link below
The Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad is back, recognizing teachers who go above and beyond. This month, it’s a teacher in Westfield who wears several hats for the district from running a summer school program for students to coaching varsity boys soccer at the high school and let’s just say he was surprised. “Everything is positive with Andrew,” said Westfield High School Principal Chuck Jendrysik.
Spending hot summer days in the classroom is not typically anyone’s ideal summer vacation, but for the dozens of students gathered outside Westfield High School, there is one person inside that building who not only works hard to make their summer program a success, but also fun.
The Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers are blown away by the showing of support.
“I think that the reaction from all the kids speaks for itself,” Cosenzi said.
To see the full video, click the link below!
The Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad is back recognizing teachers who go above and beyond. In this month’s edition of Surprise Squad, a beloved teacher at Greenfield High School, who is known for her leadership inside and outside of the classroom, received the surprise of a lifetime.
Hundreds of students lined the halls of Greenfield High School to show their support. Houser made sure it would be a surprise she never forgets.
“On behalf of the Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers, we wanted to present to you a check for $500 for you to be able to use for school supplies, plus a $200 gift card to Terrazza Restaurant and $300 to Euphoria Float Spa in Northampton,” said Cosenzi.
To see the full video, click the link below!
The TommyCar Auto Group is honoring three outstanding students with scholarships to help further their education. The three recipients from Hopkins Academy in Hadley were presented with scholarship certificates worth $1,500 each. The students were chosen for being exceptionally well-rounded, and being involved in their community by volunteering.
Carla Cosenzi, the president of TommyCar Auto Group, told 22News about how the scholarship was formed.
“We created this scholarship in memory of my dad Tom Cosenzi,” Cosensi said. “Education was always really important to him, and something he worked really hard to instill in my brother and I. So when he passed away we decided to honor him with a scholarship to the local high schools in his name.”
After the scholarships were presented, a brunch was held at Esselon Cafe in Hadley to honor the winners.
Click the link to watch the full video
The Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad is back recognizing teachers who go above and beyond. This month, it’s a Spanish teacher in Granby who’s in for a special surprise and it was one of our biggest and loudest yet! What brought hundreds of Granby Junior-Senior High schoolers out into the parking lot in the middle of the day? “She’s such a great teacher. She’s really always there for everyone no matter what. She’s such a motherly figure in the school,” said Granby Junior-Senior High School junior Abby Huebner.
It’s all to honor a special Spanish teacher with help from the Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad.
Cosenzi said, “I think you can see from all the students, their enthusiasm, their reaction that Mrs. Pinkney completely deserves everything that she got today.
To read more, click the link below!
In Northampton, a local business helped celebrate Nurses Appreciation Week. The nurses received some nice mugs, as well as box lunches for the day. The donation was made by Carla Cosenzi and the Tommy-car auto group.
It’s so great being able to support those who support us. Nurses truly do so much and work harder than anyone, so it’s nice to be able to give them something to brighten their days.
Read more in the link below
This year‘s Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament will be teeing off this year with a new presenting sponsor. The fourteenth annual event will be presented by CDK Global, an Illinois-based provider of software for automotive dealerships.
The tournament was started by Cosenzi’s children and friends after his death in 2009 at age 52 from brain cancer. Over $1.3 million has been raised over the last 13 years to help support neuro-oncology researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
”We’re so thankful to CDK Global for their partnership and we are proud to be able to support the world class research that is ongoing at Dana-Farber,“ said Carla Cosenzi, co-owner of TommyCar Auto Group.
A local teacher has overcome difficult odds and continues to positively impact her students daily. Ms. Kristen Ortyl, a kindergarten teacher at East Street School in Ludlow, has been serving students for over a decade and has struggled with health issues. Donna Queiros, who nominated Ortyl, discussed her commitment to her students. “She works hard at what she does. She has some personal battles and she comes in every day for the kids and the staff always with a smile on her face,” Queiros explained.
Learning of Ortyl’s dedication, the Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers and Western Mass News teamed up with her fellow teachers, school staff, and teachers to give her the surprise of a lifetime and one she was clearly not expecting.
Carla Cosenzi, president of Country Hyundai, added, “On behalf of Western Mass News and Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers, we want to present you with a $400 gift card to use wherever you want - a day with your friends, a day at the spa, anything that helps you as our way of saying we thank you for the impact you make on all the children.”
To watch the full video, click the link below!
The Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers Surprise Squad is back in action and is honoring educators who are making a difference. It was a noisy classroom filled with anticipation. “We’ve been able to sneak around and tip toe and invite all the kids…so she has no idea this is coming,” said Jackie Clini.
Western Mass News camera crews, school staff, and students made a coordinated effort to keep a much-loved school adjustment counselor, Bridget Jansen, in the dark.
Our Hyundai sales manager Mike added - “The way they ran over to her...You can just see how much they like her and appreciate her.”
Doing things like this in the community bring so much joy to everyone and shows the honoree how much they truly mean to the community.
To hear more about the honoree click the link!
Surprise Squad Honors Springfield School Adjustment Counselor
The Western Mass. Hyundai Dealers’ Surprise Squad is back in action, giving back to the community. This year, it’s our cool schools focus, where we’re honoring folks in our local schools going above and beyond.
This month, we’re thanking a group of drivers who have been weathering COVID-19 to keep children safe to and from school. “This is the best batch of bus drivers I’ve ever had the chance to work with,” said retired bus driver Margaret Cresswell. Cresswell said nominating this group for the Surprise Squad’s Cool Schools was a no brainer.
“I love them all and I appreciate what great drivers they are and the love they have for the kids,” Cresswell noted.
Many people working on the front lines have left their jobs, but these road warriors tell Western Mass News that was never an option.
Carla Cosenzi, president of Country Hyundai, added, “To see them [the kids] give the cards that they made, to see the impact they made on all of the children every morning and every afternoon.”
To read more, click the link below!
by: Melissa Torres, Jillian Andrews
Posted: Oct 3, 2021 / 06:27 PM EDT / Updated: Oct 4, 2021 / 06:49 PM EDT
NORTHAMPTON Mass. (WWLP) – Over the last 13 years, the Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament has raised more than $1 million with its partnerships, but this year they decided to donate some of their proceeds to a family in need.
The 13th Annual Tournament that was held on September 7th, at Twin Hills Country Club in Longmeadow, MA, raised $12,600 for Stefan Gadecki, a local man that was diagnosed with stage IV Glioblastoma.
“I was not expecting this at all,” said Gadecki.
Gadecki, his loving wife of 13 years, Caitlin, and their two sweet girls, Brynn, 8 and Annika, 5, are now faced with the fight of their lives. The auction proceeds will help the family with medical expenses, living expenses, and offer them an opportunity to have family experiences that are being taken away from them far too soon.
“I’ve got a great support system and it helps me through. I’ve got my kids to motivate me to fight as much as possible,” said Gadecki.
“Immediately touched our heart, obviously hits close to home. Stefan has the same stage IV Glioblastoma that out father had. We were so intrigued by how far a lot of the advances in the medical field have come and wanted to reach out and be apart of his story,” said Carla Cosenzi.
This year’s golf tournament took place in September and Tommy Car is already preparing for next year.
If you ‘d like to help the Gadecki family, you can donate through their Go-Fund-Me page.
Western Massachusetts automotive dealers, from left, Gary Rome of Gary Rome Hyundai, Carla Cosenzi of Country Hyundai and Jeb Balise of Balise Hyundai, are taking part in the Hyundai Salute to Heroes.
Published: Oct. 03, 2021, 5:00 a.m.
By Jim Kinney | jkinney@repub.com
Western Massachusetts Hyundai dealers — Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke, Country Hyundai of Northampton and Balise Hyundai in Springfield — want to honor those who helped their neighbors get through the past two years by bestowing a 2022 Hyundai Tucson SE worth $29,000 in the Hyundai Salute to Heroes giveaway.
The three dealerships will cover all applicable taxes and fees.
Salute to Heroes is a way of acknowledging the ordinary people in our lives who do heroic things. Communities have gone through so much the past year and a half, the dealers said.
“I think that as we peek our heads up out of the pandemic, it’s a good time to not lose sight of everything that we’ve been through, of everything that friends have been through,” said Rome, president of the local dealers association. “This is what people do. It’s like the whole paying it forward kind of thing.”
Carla Cosenzi, president of Tommycar Auto Group which includes Country Hyundai, said the dealers are taking care of the taxes and fees. The recipient will not owe any money to claim the car.
“I think the community has gone through so much in the last year and a half,” Cosenzi said. “It’s a great way for us to say thank you.”
Western Massachusetts automotive dealers, from left, Gary Rome of Gary Rome Hyundai, Carla Cosenzi of Country Hyundai and Jeb Balise of Balise Hyundai, are taking part in the Hyundai Salute to Heroes.
Brian Houser, general manager at Balise Hyundai echoed those sentiments
“It’s definitely been a rough year and a half for everybody in the area,” Houser said.
He thanked Hyundai for its support .
A hero should be someone who was inspiring during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated challenges of the last 18-or-so months. That can be a nurse, teacher, firefighter, police officer, healthcare provider. But the dealers say nominees can also be a grocery store worker, helper at a food bank, delivery person, baker, kennel worker or a single mother working multiple jobs to support her family.
“It can be someone who stayed up all night and went out of their way to help people get vaccine appointments,” Rome said.
“It can be anybody like that,” Rome said. “That’s why we wanted to include it and make it an everyday hero.”
To nominate a hero, visit HyundaiSaluteToHeroes.com and in 300 words or less explain why the nominee is worthy, based on the challenges he or she faced, or the achievements accomplished. Nominations begin today and conclude on Sunday, Oct. 31.
Eligibility covers Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.
The winner will be chosen by a group of local business leaders and be announced on Nov. 12.
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