Miller Family Message
Driven to Assist
LHM Loves to Serve and Serves to Love
By Gail Miller
What an incredible, unforeseen
and unprecedented time we are
experiencing. It can, at times, be
overwhelming and frustrating to witness
the ramifications and personal impacts of
COVID-19 across the globe. Many hardships
are felt in our own homes and communities.
At the Larry H. Miller Group of
Companies, we are also navigating our way
through challenges and seizing opportunities
when they present themselves. I am comforted
that we are in this together, as employees and
friends within LHM, and also as a worldwide
community.
As we see those around us who need our
support, I am reminded of a motto that is very
personal to me: “The only people we don’t love
are those we haven’t served yet.” We have been
given an opportunity to better connect with our
neighbors and to grow to love them through
service, which is one of our core values.
The Miller family has searched for ways
to assist others during this trying time. In late
April, we were made aware of the significant
need for families experiencing food insecurity
caused by the pandemic. Immediately, with the
help of Don Stirling, executive director of the
Miller Family Office, business presidents and
marketing teams, we rolled up our sleeves and
got to work. The outcome: Driven to Assist.
This name is a wonderful bridge between our
businesses and communities and combines
what we do best—we lead out, and we help out.
This incredible initiative started with a
weeklong program that utilized 40 of our
locations, including 22 automotive dealerships,
13 Megaplex theatres, the Salt Lake Bees at
Smith’s Ballpark, and Vivint Smart Home
Arena to collect cans of food for pantries
across the state of Utah. In return, donors
received “thank you for the assist” items
including:
• LHM Dealerships: Coupon for $10 off
a lube, oil and filter service
• LHM Megaplex Theatres: One free
large popcorn
• Utah Jazz/Vivint Smart Home Arena:
$10 online credit to the Utah Jazz
Team Store
• Salt Lake Bees/Smith’s Ballpark:
Two ticket vouchers for an upcoming
Salt Lake Bees game
After six short days, our employees and
communities donated 23,541 pounds (more
than 11 tons) of food and $4,668!
Phase Two of “Driven to Assist” includes
a five-day blood drive in early June to help
collect 800-1,000 units of much-needed
blood. Our partners at the American Red
Cross, ARUP, Intermountain Healthcare,
University of Utah Health, and the state health
department are excited to utilize Vivint Smart
Home Arena to safely collect blood donations
and potentially capture data that will support
public health during COVID-19.
Around our western states, our businesses
are also engaged in doing good. In Colorado,
the Denver Toyota Dealers Association made
a donation on behalf of our LHM Boulder
Toyota dealership to Feed the Frontlines
Boulder, which is sending meals from local
restaurants to healthcare professionals in the
community. At the LHM Nissan Arapahoe
dealership, employees collected prior-year Day
of Service shirts to make masks for our store
employees.
In Idaho, Subaru of America donated 50
million meals across the country through
Feeding America, and 113,548 meals were
donated to the Idaho Food Bank on behalf
of the LHM Subaru Boise dealership. That
store also donated 700 masks and ear savers to
nearby hospitals.
In Arizona, LHM Ford Mesa had to close
its beloved local diner as the pandemic hit and
was faced with what to do with the food in
their storeroom and refrigerators. The team
created a plan to provide two breakfasts and a
lunch for all employees. Additional stock was
donated to a local shelter.
I’m sure there are countless acts across our
company by our wonderful employees that we
don’t even know about, but we appreciate your
concern for your fellow beings.
We may not always know who is on the
receiving end of our acts of kindness. However,
we do know that when we serve others, we are
able to briefly forget about ourselves. We also
increase our capacity for caring and love. To
expand on the motto I shared earlier, the only
service project I haven’t loved is one I haven’t
yet done.
Our efforts to serve and lift the
communities around us would not work
without you, our employees. Thank you for
lending your talents, hard work, and smiles to
these and other causes, and as always, thank
you for everything you do for our family and
this organization. We care about you and your
families and hope that you will stay healthy
and safe. ◆
6 LHM Winning Spirit May/June 2020