Sarat Ford Lincoln General Manager Jeffrey Sarat hands over the keys to a Driven To Give vehicle to Janine Iacola and Jennifer Ducharme of Relay For Life. For every person who tests drives a Lincoln from 3 p.m. – midnight tonight at the Agawam Methodist Church today, Lincoln will donate $20-$30 to the Relay For Life of Agawam.
AGAWAM – Donating to Relay for Life is now as easy as taking a drive around the block.
Sarat Ford Lincoln has teamed up with Lincoln for a Driven To Give event to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Agawam.
For every test drive of a Lincoln vehicle, the motor company will donate $20 to the Relay, up to $6,000. In addition, for every test drive of the MKX, Lincoln will give an extra $10 to total $8,000 for the event.
“Our goal is to have 500 test drives,” said Jeffrey Sarat, Sarat Ford general manager. “We will reach our goal.”
The Driven To Give event takes place tomorrow starting at 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the Agawam Methodist Church. Sarat said the church is located directly across from Agawam High School where the Relay for Life is taking place this weekend.
“The Relay does not start until 6 p.m., but we wanted to start earlier so that folks setting up their tents and getting their teams together could have a chance to come over and do a test drive,” said Sarat.
The relay will be held overnight at the Agawam High School sports track and field today and tomorrow. Driven To Give will be held from 3 p.m. to 12 midnight.
“Every person who takes the wheel of a 2014 Lincoln for a test drive at the relay will help make a difference in the battle against cancer,” said Sarat.
Dealership staff will volunteer their time at the relay to assist with test drives and provide additional information about Lincoln vehicles. Test-drive participants must be 18 or older and have a valid driver’s license. There is a limit of one test drive per household.
To raise awareness about the relay and to promote the Driven To Give event, Sarat provided a 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sedan to Relay Chairperson Janine Iacolo. The outside of the car features customized lettering and logos on the hood and sides. It serves as a rolling billboard to advertise both events. Iacolo said the car has garnered much attention when parked at various fundraisers during the past few weeks. She called Driven To Give “an innovative and fun way” to raise awareness about Relay for Life.
“We brought the car to Relay events and have been getting a lot of attention and promoting the test drive,” Sarat said.
Sarat Ford Lincoln will have about 25 Lincoln vehicles at the event and he has mapped out a five-minute test drive course.
“Many people say they want to do something, but can’t make it to Relay for the night. Simply by taking a Lincoln for a test drive at the Relay will make a powerful difference in our fight against cancer. Everyone wins in this deal, because every Lincoln driven that night helps us raise more money, helps us continue to finish the fight, and contributes to a successful Relay,” Sarat said.
Finding a cure for cancer and supporting cancer patients has been a passion for Jeff Sarat, his two brothers and their father, Jack Sarat, for nearly two decades. The Sarat family has raised more than $300,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Springfield College. They were spurred to join the fight against cancer when Sarat’s mother, Karen, was diagnosed with cancer 17 years ago. She lost her battle with cancer in 2003.
Sarat said he and his family continue raising funds to support cancer patients because they know how hard it is for those with cancer. He said his mother was the driving force behind her family’s efforts to support cancer patients and raise funds to assist those in treatment. Her memory continues to inspire the Sarat family to help those with cancer.
In 2011, the Sarat family received the Omar T. Pace, MD, Award from the American Cancer Society for their work to raise funds for Relay For Life. In addition, during 2013, the family helped raise funds for the oncology unit at Westfield’s Noble Hospital by serving as co-chairs of the hospital’s annual Noble Ball.
Jennifer Ducharme, a relay specialist for the American Cancer Society, said the Driven To Give fundraiser is a prime example of how a locally owned business demonstrates to the community that it is serious about finishing the fight against cancer. “Jeff Sarat, his family, and Sarat Ford Lincoln have a long history of supporting Relay For Life. We’re very excited,” said Ducharme. “This is a tremendous opportunity to boost funds raised at our Relay, so we hope to see many people taking test drives.”
A Westfield resident, Sarat said he decided to join the Relay For Life of Agawam – now in its third year – because it’s an important event for the communities served by his dealership. Sarat said he’s seen many family members, friends, co-workers, and customers who have been touched by cancer.
Sarat added that while the dealership is participating in the Relay in Agawam, his family will continue supporting the Relay at Springfield College with a team and other fundraisers.
“I have two young children who will never get to meet their grandmother – my mother – who was taken from us much too soon and before my kids were born. I’m determined to do everything I can to help eradicate cancer and find new treatments,” he said. “Hopefully, my children or my grandchildren won’t have to deal with this dreaded disease.”
Relay For Life events bring communities together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and use the funds raised to fight back against cancer. Teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track or path.
Because cancer never sleeps, each team is asked to have at least one participant on the track at all times.
