By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — Subaru is heavily involved in positively benefiting the communities they are a part of, and on July 22, Claremont Subaru donated about 100 blankets to the Valley Regional Hospital’s Oncology Department to help bring some light into the world of cancer patients being treated.
“These treatments can have a lot of side effects like being cold, so being able to have these spectacular blankets, which are also be pillows, can make all the difference in their care,” Valley Regional Hospital Communications Specialist Savannah Tyrrell.
The Subaru Love Promise Program has five core pillars: environment, health, education, pets and community. The goal is to create change in these areas within the local community of their retailers, according to subaru.com.
Claremont Subaru General Manager Rob McDermott explained that this donation was through the Subaru Loves to Care portion of the program. Subaru has what he called “activations” that they focus on throughout the year, and this was one that stood out to the organization.
“Subaru linked up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and this donation was blankets to the cancer ward at Valley Regional,” McDermott said. “When people are there receiving their treatments, they at least have something warm and comfortable. It is also to show that someone is thinking of them in their journey.”
McDermott explained that Subaru and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society look out into the community to see who has the biggest need.
“It was great to come over there and help with something small in the course of their day,” McDermott said. “Hopefully this is something that can change a little of their outlook, with something where people are battling things I can’t even begin to comprehend.”
McDermott has been involved with Subaru for close to 15 years, and he explained that different variations of the program have been going on since he has been there. Up next is Subaru Loves Learning, and there will be a donation to Disnard Elementary School to help with their classrooms. This will be taking place in late August with hopes to get it in before the children go back to school.
Another donation Claremont Subaru will be involved with is through Subaru Loves Pets in the fall, where they will team up with the Sullivan County Humane Society. There will be an adoption event and a donation to the shelter.
In the spring, Subaru will partner with the national parks for Subaru Loves the Earth.
McDermott said these programs can be tailored for the individual retailer, giving them a wide berth with very few specifics. He said it is incredible with how much Subaru has donated back, as they are approaching $300 million donated since the program’s inception.
“With all of these donations, we try to involve our customer base,” he said. “There’s no doubt that Subaru has the most generous and giving customer base out of any manufacturer out there. Anything we can do to leverage our relationship to the local community is where we all win. It’s pretty incredible to be part of it.”
