VIP Tires & Service of Lewiston, Maine, announced today that two of its Presque Isle managers will square off in a friendly but competitive challenge aimed at raising money for a great cause that will get one manager very wet. Starting now through June 6, General Manager Tony Boucher and Manager Eric Miranda will compete for the honor of “Getting Dunked.” The VIP ‘Give a Dunk!’ fundraiser will raise money for the Make-A-Wish® Foundation.

“Make-A-Wish brings joy to children and their families when it’s most needed,” said John Quirk, President and CEO of VIP. “We are honored to be a part of what they do and hope the community will get involved so we can all support a local child with a once in a lifetime wish.”

VIP Tires and Service
VIP Tires and Service
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Central to the effort is a competition between two of the company’s Presque Isle employees. VIP is asking the community to join the cause and to help decide who gets dunked. The company has set up two giving stations at the Aroostook Centre Mall – one at VIP’s new store location and a second inside the mall near customer service. Each location will feature life-sized stand ups of VIP employees Boucher and Miranda and individual collection tanks where customers and individuals can vote with their cash. Whoever has the most donations at the end of the fundraiser will get dunked in the VIP Dunk Tank at the company’s Presque Isle store on June 6, 2015 at 1 p.m.

I had a chance to sit down and talk with VIP General Manager Tony Boucher about the event. Have a listen to what he had to say!

Funds raised from this event will help grant a once in a lifetime wish for kids like Reed, 11 of Washburn, who has been waiting for his wish to be granted and who has been selected to throw out the pitch that puts the winner in the tank.

“This is a critical fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Maine. All money raised here stays here to help local kids like Reed,” says Sonya Purington, marketing director of Make-A-Wish Maine. Purington explains, “The need has never been greater, we’re seeing record referrals this year and currently have more than 90 kids awaiting their wish. Events like this are important in supporting our goal to help every eligible child in Maine.”

VIP Tires & Service has supported Make-A-Wish® since 2008, through its holiday Season of Wishes Initiative. To date, VIP has raised more than $250,000 for Make-A-Wish®, which grants wishes to children diagnosed with life threatening medical conditions all across the country. Each wish costs an average of $6,000 and the money is raised through fundraising efforts like the one undertaken by VIP. Wishes range from trips to theme parks, meeting a favorite athlete or celebrity, attending a major sporting event or concert, receiving a computer, tree house, or shopping spree.

Last October when Sears announced it planned to close its Auto Center at the Aroostook Centre Mall, VIP quickly stepped in and hired the displaced full-time auto team workers – including Eric Miranda who is participating in the Give a Dunk fundraiser. In January, VIP decided to move its existing Presque Isle store to the former Sears location to further demonstrate its commitment to the region. The new VIP location allowed the company to double its auto service capacity, give former Sears customers a seamless continuity of service, and provide VIP team members with a much larger facility and state-of-the-art equipment to service customers.

Quirk continued: “We have made a long-term commitment to the community of Presque Isle — our company and employees are an integral part of it and we wanted to create an opportunity to share some fun together while also making a difference.”

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