We’re pleased to announce that this blog post is the very last new post for Driving the Southeast before we move to the all-new The District.

In addition to the automotive content you’ve come to expect from Driving the Southeast, The District highlights news that connects you to your community, with features on…

ECO: practical greening, or a realistic implementation of eco-conscious living for the everyman or everywoman

TRAVEL: getting places better, i.e. in a way that is itself an experience

TECH: focused on how new technologies impact our daily lives either to engage with a larger community or explore a seldom seen secret in our own backyards

CULTURE: highlighting the hidden gems of our area, and allowing us to dabble in or discover new passions that shift the journey

So join us at www.drivethedistrict.com and on our new Twitter and Instagram channels for updates on the interests that drive us all forward. We look forward to seeing you there!

The party took place downtown at 927 Events, where a bright red Chevy Tahoe, courtesy of George Moore Chevrolet, greeted guests at the entrance. The party-goer’s filled the Tahoe’s roomy cargo space with dog care items, including shampoo, conditioner, soft training toys and treats to benefit the K9’s for Warriors.

An adorable black lab was even on hand to welcome guests—how can you say no to a face like that?!

Members of the Junior League filled a brand new GMC Yukon with essential personal care items to benefit the women in need at ONH, an organization dedicated to providing individuals and families with opportunities and tools necessary to rebuild their lives.

After “stuffing the truck,” the League volunteers teamed up with ONH, LISC’s EPIC program and local artist and FSCJ professor Dustin Harewood, to help revitalize Jacksonville’s historic Springfield neighborhood through the continuation of the Main Street facelift project. The volunteers installed more than 350 square feet of Harewood’s original artwork onto the boarded up windows to complete the building’s transformation.

GM is proud to have partnered with the Junior League of Jacksonville to make a difference in the lives of those in need during this holiday season!

On Friday, November 30, GM partnered with Dr. Elizabeth King, member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), to support her 11^th Annual Big Mama’s Holiday Fundraiser and Toy Drive initiative benefiting Team of Life, Inc. Over 1,000 toys were collected and the end of the evening all toys were transported to Dr. King’s home in a Chevy Tahoe, Traverse and Buick Enclave.

The second toy drive of the season also benefited Team of Life, Inc. On December 3, during NAWBO’s Annual Business showcase meeting, GM teamed up with NAWBO and provided a Chevy Tahoe to take all the toys that were donated by NAWBO members throughout the evening to Dr. Elizabeth King’s house. A total of 250 toys were collected and these items will benefit the less fortunate kids in the tri-county area.

Lastly, for our final holiday toy drive of the year, GM joined forces with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce to contribute to their 13^th Annual Holiday Celebration. The event which was hosted alongside Chamber South and Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, was conducted to benefit the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.  Just as it was done in the two previous activations, GM facilitated a Chevrolet Tahoe and Malibu to transport all donated items. At the end of the evening, over 600 toys were collected!

Thanks to all the organizations for welcoming our partnership and letting us be part of such a phenomenal community experience.

Happy Holidays!

-Chevrolet and the SPCA of Central
Florida give vehicle safety tips for traveling with pets-

  Gross was the keynote presenter at the North Florida Clean Cities Coalition’s three-year anniversary meeting. Her presentation was well attended by folks from the Jacksonville Port Authority, Jacksonville Aviation Authority, JEA, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Department of Navy, North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, Jacksonville Transportation Authority and TECO (Tampa Electric). Plus, a U.S. Senator Bill Nelson representative and many others showed up to learn more about General Motors’ plans and findings on advanced vehicle technology.

Here’s a link to a Facebook photo album from the day. Enjoy.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10152345541090722.1687577.196541290721&type=1

Our moms-to-be met and then drove away in new Chevy vehicles (including a Malibu, Tahoe, Cruze, Volt and Spark) to a total of six neighborhood Winn-Dixie stores to stock up on essential baby care items like diapers, wipes, shampoo and baby food. The moms received an extra treat when Jaxon de Ville, the official mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars, made a surprise appearance to hand out bags of goodies and flowers at the last Winn-Dixie location each day.

The ladies then drove to USO for food, refreshments and raffle prizes. Safe Kids of Northeast Florida was also on hand during Diaper Dash to demonstrate proper car seat installation and other child passenger safety tips.

Our Diaper Dash gave expecting military moms a “baby shower” experience, which often isn’t possible since most of these ladies are far removed from their families, friends and hometowns. The women were also able to connect and meet new friends by sharing pregnancy-related stories, anxieties and parenting tips.

Chevy is immensely proud and grateful for our military and their families. We felt so honored to spend two days with these women and are thankful they allowed us to be part of such a special time in their lives. We wish all of our military moms-to-be happy, safe and healthy deliveries!

Click the link below to watch a full TV news package on this year’s Diaper Dash.

http://www.mytvjax.com/s/VxGB6NtBqU-5O6bJTIBt9g.cspx#.UMO3eR-Clvk.email

And here’s a link to our event facebook album. Enjoy sharing it with your friends!

http://www.facebook.com/GMintheSoutheast?ref=hl#!/media/set/?set=a.10152310587160722.1683282.196541290721&type=1

Lots of toys for the children at Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay!

Putting a red truck in a red truck!

The well-attended event took place at the Straz Center for Performing Arts where a bright red Chevy Silverado, courtesy of Ferman Chevrolet was parked under the arrival plaza for all guests to see upon entering the event. Nearly 500 members and guests from all organizations attended the event. Many people participated in the charitable initiative by bringing toys and towels to the truck and getting their photos taken before entering the event.

Participants bringing toys and towels.

Thank you members of Tampa Bay for your support!

The truckload of toys was then taken to the Ronald McDonald House on Davis Island and gifted to them to supply their free holiday gift shop for families to pick out items for their children later this month.

Bringing the toys to the Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay.

We had a great time teaming up with organizations to help this local charity. Click to see more from the event!

A selection of ten women from the Crisis Center Survivor Group was selected to participate in the shopping event based on their current situational needs. The women gathered at the mall around 11:30 a.m. for a “check-in” session led by the Crisis Center staff. Each of the women introduced themselves, discussed their thoughts and shared their fears and anxieties about the day. Chevy then gave a brief overview of the event and communicated an encouraging and positive message of empowerment while reminding the women that this day “is all about you!”

The women started their day at Nordstrom’s “E-bar” where were treated to a delicious drink to sip on during the shopping spree. They then traveled as a group to several retailers throughout the mall to pick up pre-arranged “Gifts of Empowerment” including:

• Nordstrom: makeup & beauty goodie bag
• Kate Spade: “look on the bright side” bracelets
• Bath & Body Works: self-care bath items
• Papyrus: bound journal & pink pen
• Teavanna: calming tea & tea bag

After the shopping portion, the women gathered for a group lunch and reflection session at a private area in the food court. The ladies were each given “lunch money” to choose their own lunch and enjoyed time talking about their lives and experiences together. After lunch, several women stayed to get their makeup done at Nordstrom by Bobbi Brown artists visiting from New York.

Several of the women also filled out assessments of their experiences. Many of them are struggling financially and emotionally. Several of them had never been to International Plaza and did not feel safe or deserving of shopping there. The feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive. The women said the event made them feel valued, loved and special.

The J100 is an organization of black men who volunteer their time and talents to provide training and mentorship programs for local youth. This is the second year in a row Chevrolet has sponsored and organized the event for 100 Black Men and their mentees.

Participants met at George Moore Chevrolet and drove a Chevy Volt, Tahoe and Malibu to Jacksonville-based companies Marco Ophthalmic and Web.com where they heard from leadership on various career options at each of the companies and participated in mock interviews and behind-the-scenes tours. The group also enjoyed a dynamic keynote luncheon presentation at Seasons 52 restaurant given by JEA Workforce Program Manager Pat Sams.

“These college students and recent grads were able to network and learn from top leadership in the Jacksonville community,” said GM Southeast Communications Group Manager Araba Dowell. “General Motors and Chevrolet are proud of these young people for taking important steps to begin and advance their careers. And we’re pleased to support such a valuable learning experience.”

Participants learned a lot about the power of first impressions in networking situations and during interviews. One resounding refrain they heard over and over: Make yourself memorable. You have to speak up, ask questions, and build relationships.

“They really hit on attitude a lot. That stuck out to me,” said J100 mentee Kirk Malcolm. “Put yourself out there. You have to sell yourself. I think that’s something I will really take from this experience.”

“This Chevy Career Drive event has considerable worth because it gives our mentees an opportunity to receive valuable career counsel,” said Charles Griggs, Vice President of Programs for 100 Black Men of Jacksonville. “It also gives them an opportunity to network and make an impression in front of actual hiring decision makers in our community. That’s priceless.”

Here’s a brief video recap of our 2012 Chevy Career Drive. Enjoy!