When you think of company charity events, you probably think about 5K runs, bake sales and auctions. But in 2020, Southeast Toyota Distributors – our sister company and fellow subsidiary of parent company JM Family Enterprises – put a colorful twist on giving to charity. Literally.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, food banks began to report a 70% increase in the need for nonperishables. So the premise was this: donate to Feeding America, and you get to vote on what color Ed Sheehy, President of Southeast Toyota, dyed his hair.
Every $10 was one vote toward shades like rainbow, red and teal. Sheehy also personally matched donations up to $15,000 at 50% and anything above that at 25%, calling on associates and Southeast Toyota dealers to pitch in.
In a company wide video, Sheehy said he only expected to raise between $15,000 to $30,000. But on the first day, 254 people contributed $23,000. On day two, that number was over $55,000, and day three brought the number to $91,000.
By the end of the campaign, Southeast Toyota and its Toyota dealer partners raised $226,000 – and Sheehy dyed his hair the winning shade of parent company JM Family teal.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, food banks began to report a 70% increase in the need for nonperishables. So the premise was this: donate to Feeding America, and you get to vote on what color Ed Sheehy, President of Southeast Toyota, dyed his hair.
Every $10 was one vote toward shades like rainbow, red and teal. Sheehy also personally matched donations up to $15,000 at 50% and anything above that at 25%, calling on associates and Southeast Toyota dealers to pitch in.
In a company wide video, Sheehy said he only expected to raise between $15,000 to $30,000. But on the first day, 254 people contributed $23,000. On day two, that number was over $55,000, and day three brought the number to $91,000.
By the end of the campaign, Southeast Toyota and its Toyota dealer partners raised $226,000 – and Sheehy dyed his hair the winning shade of parent company JM Family teal.
“The premise was this: donate to Feeding America, and you get to vote on what color Ed Sheehy, President of Southeast Toyota, dyed his hair.”
The premise wasn’t his idea, Sheehy explained in another company video. His son Jack had been working at home during the pandemic, but he went “stir-crazy” and decided to dye his hair from brown to blonde.
“I went over the next few hours thinking, ‘What an idiot!” to ‘What a genius! How can we make something of this?’” Sheehy said in the video.
For a while, the rainbow option was winning by more than 300 votes. Then it was Toyota’s classic red. But at the last minute, a Southeast Toyota dealer donated $20,000 and put in over 2,000 votes for the signature JM Family teal, sealing the deal.
Sheehy still likes to say that every color won.
“You all rallied incredibly around this cause,” Sheehy said. “That’s the power of JM Family.”
“I went over the next few hours thinking, ‘What an idiot!” to ‘What a genius! How can we make something of this?’” Sheehy said in the video.
For a while, the rainbow option was winning by more than 300 votes. Then it was Toyota’s classic red. But at the last minute, a Southeast Toyota dealer donated $20,000 and put in over 2,000 votes for the signature JM Family teal, sealing the deal.
Sheehy still likes to say that every color won.
“You all rallied incredibly around this cause,” Sheehy said. “That’s the power of JM Family.”