SAN ANTONIO – A shared passion for uniting with and giving back to the San Antonio community has created a unique partnership between UTSA Athletics and the Kahlig Auto Group.
“When you have a really successful automobile business or any successful business in a community, part of your success should be giving back and participating in the growth of the community,” said Billy Vaughn, Vice President of the Kahlig Auto Group. “I don’t take that lightly. I want everybody to know that we recognize the good work that UTSA is doing. From the athletic director to the professors to the support people, they’ve just got so many good things going on.”
Vaughn, himself a first-generation college graduate, connected with UTSA’s impact on first-generation college students. Approximately 45 percent of the UTSA student body is comprised of first-generation college students, including more than one-third of student-athletes.
“The more that I was around the athletes and [head football coach] Jeff Traylor and [Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics] Lisa Campos and the whole community there at UTSA, the more I looked at what they were doing in terms of their first-generation graduates and what they were doing for the city of San Antonio to educate our workforce,” Vaughn said. “It just made sense to me that the Kahlig Auto Group needed to be a part of that growth and to support UTSA with their current endeavors.”
That partnership led to a collaboration that contributed to Haven for Hope, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded by UTSA Athletics supporter Bill Greehey that cares for those experiencing homelessness in San Antonio.
“Several years ago, Kahlig Auto Group started doing a coat drive at our Christmas party,” Vaughn said. “That led us to Haven for Hope. Outside their front gates, we would meet with all their people and we would hand out coats. We started going over there and we had two pickup trucks full of coats. I was there doing it with them and it touched my heart. I had seen where Haven for Hope helped people find jobs and that the people in their facilities were truly in need and were on the right track to get their lives back together. That’s how it all got started.”
Giving back is core to the mission of North Park Subaru, one of two Subaru dealerships within the Kahlig Auto Group.
“Subaru is an extraordinary company,” Vaughn said. “Their focus in every community in the United States is to give back to the community, to do things that are more than just taking people’s money and selling them a car.”
This winter, North Park Subaru donated money to Haven for Hope based on every free throw the UTSA men’s and women’s basketball teams made. This spring, they are doing the same based on the number of strikeouts by the UTSA baseball and softball teams. Fans can keep track of the count on the homepage of GoUTSA.com.
“I think it has brought excitement to every game and it has been fun to watch the progress,” said Stephen Markham, General Manager of North Park Subaru. “It was great to see the involvement with the community and our partner, Haven for Hope.”
Markham was on hand at the UTSA men’s basketball home finale against Temple to present Haven for Hope President and CEO Kim Jeffries with a $5,000 check for the funds raised during the basketball season.
“Subaru is all about sharing and taking care of those who need help,” Markham said. “There is a great satisfaction in knowing that the money is going to be used wisely. They’ve got a great leadership team at Haven for Hope and there’s a lot of pride in being able to help someone else in the community.”
The partnership with Haven for Hope and UTSA Athletics is one that is personal to the Kahlig Auto Group.
“Haven For Hope is the real deal and they do so many good things,” Vaughn said. “It wasn’t just going to a list and saying, ‘Let’s pick Haven for Hope.’ This is where our employees and I personally handed out jackets to the people they were helping. We saw what they were doing and we were just very impressed with it.”
North Park Subaru will present another donation to Haven for Hope following the conclusion of the UTSA baseball and softball season. And as they see it, it’s just the beginning of a long relationship.
“We look forward to many more opportunities with UTSA and Haven for Hope,” Markham said. “It’s great to be part of the UTSA community and we’re really enjoying it.”