Just Something To Think About ...

The song “New Year’s Day” was about the Solidarity movement in Poland, but the Irish rock band’s anthem points out that just because the calendar changes, things happening at the end of one year are still going on at the beginning of the next, good and bad.

We know it, too. December 31 falls in the winter, and so does January 1. Starbucks is open New Year’s Eve, as well as New Year’s Day. And for you sports fans, the NFL playoff race was heating up at the end of 2022, and is still hot in the early days of 2023.

Last week the NFL was a topic on the minds and in the hearts of many with the horrific injury suffered by 24-year-old Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills. In the Bills’ January 2 Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. He was given CPR on the field and rushed to the hospital; yesterday, he returned home to Buffalo.

The situation for Hamlin and his family has been horrific, and continued prayers are sought as he recovers.

A silver lining in the events of what happened to Hamlin was an outpouring of help for a charity he supports that provides toys for underprivileged kids. Prior to his injury, Hamlin’s goal was to raise $2500 for the organization. In the first 24 hours after Hamlin was hurt, the fund had grown to more than $4 million; it now is at more than $8 million.

In recent months our Powersports family suffered two significant tragedies and the NPDA and others rallied to raise funds to provide help.

Donations are still being accepted to help employees from two Powersports Dealerships, Bumpus HarleyDavidson in Memphis, Tennessee, and Coleman PowerSports in Falls Church, Virginia. Details, including how to help, can be found on the links below:

Bennard Family Fundraiser: www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-the-bennard-family

Arenz Family Fundraiser: www.gofundme.com/f/rfqpps-family

What the Hamlin, Bennard and Arenz tragedies point out is that the need to help others never goes away regardless of the day, week, month or year, Also shown is that when people join together to do good, the impact grows more powerful with each new individual added to the cause.

This is why the NPDA works so hard to gain members – strength in numbers. As we move farther into 2023 you will see us continue to grow, one Dealership at a time, and as we do our impact on the Powersports industry and the lives of others will grow, too.