Southern Honda Powersports donates motorcycles to cancer foundation

The holiday season annually provides a reminder for many to be grateful for their blessings, and to be generous toward those still in need.

It’s safe to say Southern Honda Powersports of Chattanooga, Tennessee, heard the sleigh bells ringing loud and clear this year after it recently donated two motorcycles to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.

Made by BSA and Triumph, patients will modify and “upgrade” the bikes as a part of their Industrial Arts Therapy – provided at no cost to the individuals facing childhood cancer.

Industrial Arts Therapy is an educational therapy program similar to “shop class,” where patients get to use hand, power or machine tools to build wood or metal objects. The program also includes small engine repair and automobile maintenance programs.

“After hearing the story behind the Austin Hatcher Foundation, Industrial Arts Therapy really resonated with us as a tool for recovery in more ways than one,” said owner Tim Kelly in a press release. “We are thrilled to provide the Foundation with these motorcycles to be used for an activity for these families to focus on that also provides healing.”

In August, Powersports Business spoke with Kelly about the dealership’s plans for expansion, learning how it successfully leveraged its local government for tax incentives throughout the process. Part of the shop’s value to the community, he said at the time, was being an ingrained part of it.

While donating to charity should go well beyond simply seeking good publicity, it’s a safe bet to generate it nonetheless. Is your shop making any plans to partner with the local community this season?

— Nick Longworth, nlongworth at epgmediallc.com