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Even though he had the high bid of $45,000 at the LCT-NLA Show East auction on Nov. 9, Jacobs continued to raise his bid in $500 increments until he thought the price was right. When the gavel came down, he paid $48,000 to the NLA to benefit the Harold Berkman Memorial Fund, the limousine industry’s leading charity and philanthropic arm.
“My goal was to add another Transit to the Windy City Limousine fleet while also supporting the Howard Berkman Memorial Fund. I kept bidding because I didn’t think enough money had yet been raised,” Jacobs explains. “Everything I have in my life I got from the limousine industry, and when you get a chance to donate back to the same industry, you should do it. That’s how I feel.”
Ford donated the 15-passenger high-roof Transit wagon to NLA for the auction as part of the Ford Lincoln Limousine and Livery Vehicles’ annual support promotion for the association. Last year’s promotion raised $39,000 each for NLA and the Harold Berkman Memorial Fund.
The Fund is named after the late Harold Berkman, founder of Los Angeles-based Music Express, a past NLA president, and a founder of the professionally organized limousine industry. To date, the Charity Fund has contributed more than $750,000 to various charities, including When Georgia Smiled, Alliance for Lupus Research, American Cancer Society, City of Hope, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Philabundance.
“Ford is proud to be a long-time partner with NLA and to work together to support the Harold Berkman Charity Fund,” says Craig Hall, Ford fleet marketing manager, commercial vehicle sales and marketing. “Supporting this charity fund helps organizations doing important work like finding cancer cures and preventing domestic violence.”
Jacobs bought the first Transit limousine built in the United States earlier this year and says he has been planning to add more Transit vans to the Windy City Limousine fleet ever since. Transit, America’s best-selling full-size van, is available in 58 configurations from the Kansas City factory.
Visit limo.org/harold-berkman-memorial-fund or windycitylimos.com for more information.
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Robin McGraw announced the partnership November 20 in a video message posted to her foundation’s Facebook page. The message was then shared by Robin’s husband, television personality Dr. Phil McGraw, to his show’s Facebook page November 23.
The Aspire Initiative includes a potentially lifesaving smartphone app, Aspire News, is available free of charge to download on Google Play, as well as at whengeorgiasmiled.org. The app allows a user to create a pre-written text or voice message to be sent to designated numbers (such as 911 or other chosen emergency contacts) with just the tap of a button. The ignition of the app's "go button" also starts a recording to capture the details of the domestic violence encounter and/or other dangerous events taking place. Aspire Newsis designed to appear like any other smart phone app to the untrained eye, allowing it to be both downloaded and used discreetly.
“Hailing a private driver, unfortunately, does not always come without risk and I am so proud that my foundation, When Georgia Smiled, has partnered with Ride Responsibly to further broaden our reach, increasing passenger safety and awareness,” McGraw says. “We are proud to be a part of this vital initiative to keep our roads and our citizens well-informed and, ultimately, safer.”
"This alliance is a necessary step in our deeper commitment to fight violence and sexual assault. We are proud to partner with When Georgia Smiled and Aspire, educating the public of the help available at their fingertips, when they need it most," adds Buffo. "With an alarming number of recently reported sexual assault cases involving ride-hailing drivers, it is an imperative initiative to provide safety to those who find themselves in danger."
The partnership is an extension of the NLA’s ongoing Ride Responsibly initiative to increase passenger safety, education, and awareness for anyone using a ride-hailing app-based car service such as Lyft, Uber, or Whisk. The campaign urges consumers to arm themselves with the necessary tools to Ride Responsibly and make informed choices when it comes to their own safety.
Visit whengeorgiasmiled.org to learn more about both When Georgia Smiled and the Aspire Initiative, rideresponsibly.org for more information about Ride Responsibly, and limo.org for more about the NLA.
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VLA President Paul Walsh of Superior Executive Transportation opened up the morning meeting before guest speaker and Florida Limousine Association President Rick Versace of A1A Airport & Limousine Service addressed the crowd. Versace, who was recently named Limousine Operator of the Year by the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, provided an update about the unique TNC landscape Florida operators are facing. He is part of an initiative to bring a statewide app to the Sunshine State’s chauffeured ground transportation industry, and spoke about how it may be time to mimic some of TNCs’ best practices to satisfy customers looking for a luxury on-demand option.
New VLA members then had a chance to introduce themselves, as did representatives for the meeting’s sponsors, Jack Rolfe and Joseph Lalla from Georgetown Insurance and Steven Wolfson from Century Business Solutions. Wolfson is the association’s newest vendor member and offered to pay a years’ worth of dues for any longstanding or new member who signs up with Century.
Rolfe, who was an underwriter for 25 years before becoming a broker, also spoke at the meeting, where he discussed a number of insurance-related topics. He explained how lay-up coverage can save operators from paying to insure out-of-service cars, buses, or vans, as well how insurance costs are on the rise partially due to the increased cost of repairing modern vehicles.
The dialogue turned to the importance of solidarity, with longtime VLA supporter Arthur Messina of Create-A-Card addressing the long-term value of well-nurtured relationships and Walsh initiating a conversation about why associations are a necessary component of the industry. Members addressed how the VLA has allowed them to, among other things, grow their businesses, tackle legislative issues, share information, find strength in numbers, and network.
To demonstrate those benefits, recent association successes were highlighted. Among them were proposed changes to airport rules, wherein VLA members attended public comment periods to ensure the industry’s needs are met.
Turning its eye toward the future, VLA’s vision for 2016 includes increasing the association’s overall numbers and adding value to association membership. It is actively working to have professional management assistance in place by January 1 to satisfy both of those goals, and will be utilizing technology to offer video conferencing capabilities as well as live streaming.
The VLA’s next event will be its holiday party on December 1.
Visit virginialimousineassociation.org for more information.
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