9th Annual Joyride Recipients
What are the holidays for, if not for giving? We have officially wrapped up our 9th Annual Joyride program, and for all of us at OOROO, it’s been a true JOY!
Our team was blown away by the record number of nominations we received this year from friends and neighbors in our community. The heartfelt entries for those in need made selecting recipients a tough but incredibly meaningful decision for our local panel of judges in Tucson and Phoenix.
If you’re not familiar with our Joyride program, each holiday season OOROO has the honor of gifting complimentary auto repair to families in need. This year, we were able to help two deserving recipients.
Our first recipient, Ben, is a hardworking single father and social worker who gives his all to his clients each day, helping them find shelter, resources, and mental health counseling. When he isn’t working, he’s making sure his family has everything they need while finding small ways to bring joy to everyone around him. Through Joyride, we were able to address multiple repairs on his vehicle, including his check engine light, power steering leaks, brakes, suspension, air conditioning, oil leaks, a tune-up, battery replacement, and cooling system repairs.
After the work was complete, Ben shared:
“I feel like I have a new car. It’s nice to know my vehicle is safe. I feel good about running my daughter places now. My car is actually superb. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They went above and beyond what I thought they would do.”
Our second recipient (who preferred that his name not be shared) was nominated by a family member who has watched him provide for his family of seven while also battling cancer. Despite his own health challenges, he remains passionate about serving his community through his work and time spent with his family. His nominator shared that “he has learned to become a jack of all trades to cut down on costs and make ends meet.” We were able to complete extensive repairs, including replacing the exhaust manifold, front suspension lower control arm, cooling fan, rear suspension stabilizer bar, starter, and lower radiator hose, along with new spark plugs, wiper blades, an oil change, brake fluid flush, and tire mounting & balancing.
It is truly an honor for OOROO to show up for our neighbors in need—especially recipients like these, who give so much of themselves every day. We hope the work we’ve done not only provides safety but also brings peace of mind.
Joyride would not be possible without the support of our local volunteer panel of judges and our incredible vendor partners. Please join us in thanking the judges who volunteered their time to review more than 110 submissions and help select these two deserving families. We also extend our deepest thanks to our partners at Parts Authority, Napa, AutoZone, Desert Financial Credit Union of Phoenix, and Worldpac, along with TreadLogic, who replaced two tire pressure sensors at no charge and donated four tires for our Phoenix recipient this year. We are incredible grateful for all the hard work and care our OOROO teams in Queen Creek and Oro Valley put into helping these families.
May this be a year of blessings, health, happiness, and yes, JOY for all!
