During their We Jeep Together family fun day, Step One Automotive Group North awarded Coastal Pet Rescue with their Local Hero Award on Saturday, March 25.

For the last three years, I have driven a Jeep Gladiator for the fabulous folks at Step One Automotive Group! These Gladiators are so lifted that I had to use a step stool to climb up to Big Red, a gorgeous beast with a fifth wheel that was featured in the WSAV “Where’s Bunny Ware” segment on The Bridge. These Gladiators have shown up to support every nonprofit you can think of.

Currently in Jeep #18, I cruise over to community partner Donatos Pizza to pick up a gift card with my Jefferson County home girl Cindy Davis before heading out to Step One Auto on Chatham Parkway. From a distance, I see colorful bouncy houses, an inflatable basketball game and a bright blue Jeep topping the custom Jeep Homeland 30-ft hill.  

Grabbing a new Step One Auto red, white and blue t-shirt featuring an American flag, I head over to Krazian to put in an order before taking a seat to talk with Steve Kanner from Commando Customs and Classics. One of the nicest guys I know in the auto world, I asked the Florida native to tell me how he ended up restoring hot rod domestic classic cars and trucks.

“Growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, me and my high school buddies built and raced drag racing cars. Having my son Daniel work in the shop with me everyday is like how my grandparents had my mom and dad work with them in their small business. Following in their footsteps with my right hand man is continuing that legacy,” shares the avid animal lover.

Sitting in the tent next to them are members of the Jeepin’ For The 2nd – GA Chapter. Meet Dawn and Rob Richardson! Founding a local chapter dedicated to supporting the second Amendment. 

    

With more Jeeps arriving, I weave past Step One Auto’s Dylan King to talk with the Low Country Mud Rats Jeep Club council member Timothy Plessinger. The Georgia Regional social worker chats with me about his 2004 LJ Jeep, his love of travel and their 3.3K Facebook members. 

“We are a family-oriented Jeep enthusiast group that promotes camaraderie with off road events and support to local organizations. You can find us on the first Sunday of every month at a different location,” he shares.

Pausing DJ Ace aka Shawn Davis, Step One’s Marketing Event Coordinator Chelsea Altman grabs the mic to welcome the crowd and tell us, “You know we are raising money for CPR today and we have a new way to do it! Buy a ticket to the Dunk Tank and you can get a chance to dunk Jonathan Oppenheimer and CPR’s Lisa Scarborough.”

Let’s pause to talk about Chelsea. I remember the day I met the 30-year-old Liberty County native. Sitting in the conference room sporting wicked-looking stiletto nails and a slight goth meets Marilyn Monroe look, Chelsea told me, “This is my dream job. I have worked with nonprofits since I was 15 and being able to tie together events that are family friendly while helping an organization that betters our community is exactly what I was meant to do.”

Fast forward a year and I can see how much she loves handling the last-minute issues of an event, taking charge while setting an example for her two young daughters. This really is the exact fit for a woman that has endured some very difficult personal obstacles and is thriving in the job she was meant for.

Yet another woman I adore is the longtime leader and founder of Coastal Pet Rescue.  I met Lisa almost 20 years ago when she had crates of kittens, puppies and senior dogs lined up along the walls of her living room, bedroom and bathroom. 

“I rescued animals with my dad when I was a kid and even though I have four different degrees, this wasn’t my intended path,” she says.

Fast forward 20 years, Lisa has outgrown her home and can be found off of Truman Parkway on Thomas Avenue with an acre of land dedicated to saving our four-legged friends. 

“We give a chance to animals that other people may pass by. From working with Scouts and other youth on service and merit badges and providing pet food for animal owners in need, to placing pets of families who have lost loved ones, we believe that one person can make a difference,” shares the savior of homeless and abandoned animals.

After SOAG Marketing Manager Maja Ciric presents Lisa a $1000 check and an extra $530 from the Dunk Tank raffle, I mingle through the crowd of first-time drivers on the ramp to the dozens of Jeeps that are navigating the Jeep Homeland course. I hear a lady tell Chelsea how much it meant to have her family feel so welcome. 

I know how she feels. I have worked with many companies and nonprofits in the past 19 years and none of them have embraced my ideas, quirky personality and strong opinions as much as my Step One Automotive Group family has. I call Maja and Chelsea my queens, and —for someone fortunate enough to be part of their kingdom—there isn’t a lot I won’t do for SOAG as they continue to champion the local heroes of our community!

This article appears in Mar 1-31, 2023.