Dealers' Choice - Media Communication Group

John and Diann ChaseMaking Dreams Come Truefor Texas YouthWhen the media portrays franchisednew car and truck dealers for theircommunity service, they typicallyreference sponsoring a little leaguebaseball team and advertising in thehigh school annual.Those who really know dealers andtheir community involvement, realizethat those statements are truebut that there is a much higher level ofcontribution and volunteer leadershipthat is never mentioned.The fact is that dealers around thecountry and Texas, in particular, are theMayor’s of their towns, Chairmen of theSchool Board, President of the Chamber,head of the Economic Development Boardand just about every other volunteerleadership position that helps their townand its citizens. There are public schoolsnamed for our dealers, wings of hospitals,city parks and sports stadiums. It is thismuch higher level of service to mankindthat is frequently overlooked and dealersnever publicize or bring attention to theirgood works. They keep a low profile andjust do good things for others, withoutcalling attention to themselves.One such extraordinary program is theAutobahn Motorcar Group Youth ScholarshipTour, sponsored by John Chase, Presidentand CEO of the Autobahn MotorcarGroup and his wife Diann in Fort Worth.John and Diann, for 10 years, haveraised funds for scholarships for youngTexans who show their longhorns twice ayear, at the famous Will Rogers MemorialComplex in Fort Worth.In the words of Larry Barker, GeneralManager of the Autobahn MotorcarGroup Youth Scholarship Tour, “Over thelast 10 years, hundreds of devoted youth,seeking excellence, have seized the opportunityand secured a portion of the over$1,000,000 in scholarships made availablethrough the Tour. John and Diann Chasehave held true to their goal, for and thepurpose of, the Autobahn Youth Tour.All young people should be able to receivea college education if they desire one.Because of this commitment, an untoldnumber of youth have been able to realizetheir college dream and look forward to afuture filled with bright promise.Ten years marks a milestone for theAutobahn Youth Tour. From an initial$10,000 for the first year, to over $300,000in 2010, the Tour has experienced phenomenalgrowth in both scholarshipmoney and in the number of exhibitorsand entries.Little, if any, success would have beenenjoyed by the Tour without the parents,grandparents, teachers and mentorsunselfishly sacrificing for the future ofchildren. Countless breeders and sponsorshave joined with Autobahn to ensure thebest possible experience for our exhibitors.There have been many volunteersand staff, too numerous to mention, thathave helped shoulder the work crucial fora robust Autobahn Youth Tour. A myriadof judges from varied disciplines havegraciously lent their expertise and left theshow heralding the Autobahn. This combinationof enlightened adults, leading byexample, has managed to nurture a newgeneration of leaders. Thankfully, thesestalwarts recognized the compelling needfor a program like the Autobahn YouthTour and supported the Tour at every turn.Of course, the Autobahn Youth Tourand its advantages would not be accessibleto our youth without the grace of John andDiann Chase. Their spirit of communityand enduring faith is the bedrock on whichthe Autobahn Youth Tour was built. Thankyou John and Diann for 10 years of wholeheartedbelief in the Tour and the youngpeople it serves.”In addition to the scholarships awardedat the competition, young Texans receiverecognition in other categories, includingcontests for public speaking, original artwork and essay writing.Noted personalities and dignitariesjudge these contests. This year, TADAExecutive Vice President and GeneralCounsel, Karen Phillips was a judge inthe speech competition.Show cattle, exclusively Texas Longhorns,compete in the livestock judging.One of the competitors is TADA’s ownMitchell Dale, who owns Dale Land andCattle as well as McCree Ford in Dickinson.Mitchell shows his prize Texas Longhornsand is a sponsor of the AutobahnSuper Stakes.John and Diann Chase, through theirAutobahn Youth Scholarship Tour, aremaking the dreams of deserving youngstudents come true and reflect the truecharacter of Texas dealers commitmentto serving the greater good of Texas andTexans. n28