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On the Road Again MIDAS’ PROJECT SPARK ASSISTS DESERVING PEOPLE WHO NEED WHEELS Project Spark, which repairs vehicles and gives them to hardworking people in need, continues Midas’ long, heartwarming history of giving back. “A study showed that folks with cars are twice as likely to find a job and four times as likely to stay employed,” says Louis Lugo, Midas’ senior marketing manager. “This is an opportunity for franchisees to help people in need in their markets.” Here’s how Project Spark works: Used vehicles are donated to the 1-800-Charity-Cars nonprofit organization. A franchisee volunteers to do repairs (Midas reimburses for parts) and gives them to a deserving recipient identified by the organization. Recipients include: • Jasmine, a single mother of four with two jobs. She was getting up at 5 a.m. to get the kids ready for school and spent five hours a day on the bus. She received a 2011 Ford Escape with new car seats. • Tim, a Marine Corps veteran, who lost everything in a house fire, received a 2007 Honda Accord. • Lamonica, a mom to three girls who works nights in security and volunteers at the Chicago Childcare Society. She received a Town & Country minivan after her vehicle’s transmission went south. Project Spark launched last fall and will be North America-wide by 2020. “Our mission is to fix and donate more than 1,000 vehicles,” Lugo says. For more information, visit www.midas.com/projectspark.
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