Monthly Archives: December 2017

Pay It Forward | Surprising a Virginia family in need

Community

The holidays are a time of giving and helping those in need. Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC felt compelled to do just that with this family featured in this edition of Pay It Forward. The team got wind of Olivia Parkman, a Virginia mother of four, regarding a car accident that the family was involved in last year. The accident occurred on June 11th, 2016 in Alabama and resulted in the Parkmans losing their daughter in the crash. It has been over a year since her death, but of course the family is still struggling to heal. To make matters worse, the family has not had a car due to their previous vehicle being totaled in the crash. The money that they received from the insurance company was not nearly enough to get another car.

As a mother, Olivia is doing the best she can to stay strong for her 3 remaining children and provide the best possible life she can for them. Her sons have been receiving grief counseling through Capital Caring in Northern Virginia. Olivia would love to attend counseling as well but does not have the proper transportation to get there. The good folks at Capital Caring reached out to folks in the community to share her story and see if there was any way that people could help. Easterns Automotive Group received word about the Parkmans through Extreme Custom Collisions in Woodbridge, Virginia. Once they heard the story, they decided that they were going to do something special to make Christmas special for the Parkmans and help end their year on a great note. They donated a Honda Accord to the family to get back on their feet and provide the transportation that they need as a family.

When watching the video, you will see raw emotions because no one had any idea what was happening until it happened. Even Fox 5 DC?s Allison Seymour was both emotional and in shock because this was just truly a touching story. However, the surprise didn?t end there. Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group also presented the boys with an official Washington Redskins football. The ball contained the signatures of Kirk Cousins, Josh Norman, and Ryan Kerrigan. He also gave them a basketball signed by the Washington Wizards own Bradley Beal. To top it all off, Joel gifted the entire family with tickets to both a Washington Redskins and a Washington Wizards game.

If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, CLICK HERE to nominate them.

Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.

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Pay It Forward | Jamahri Sydnor (Memorial Fund)

Biography, Community

Eastern Motors and Fox 5 DC recently came together for a very special edition of Pay it Forward. The purpose of this paying it forward to this specific cause was to celebrate a young woman?s personal achievements and contributions to the community as her mother fights to keep her legacy alive. Jamahri Syndor was a very bright student that was preparing for college. She was loved not only by friends and family but also local members of the community. Many would agree with saying that Syndor was truly a special girl. She had just graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School where she was a cheer caption and member of the choir. As of that wasn?t enough, Syndor also found the time to have part-time job, volunteer with kids, and dance in a troupe.

August 10th, 2017 was the day that changed everything. This was the day that Syndor was shot by a stray bullet while driving through northeast D.C. This happened just days before she was scheduled to leave to attend college at Florida A&M University. Syndor passed away two days later and is survived by her mother, Queen Wallace, whom is a veteran police sergeant in the district. This has been quite devastation to the family but they are looking for a memorable way to ?Pay It Forward? through the form of a foundation, scholarship, or dance program.

Fox 5 DC and Easterns Automotive Group received word about what happened to Sydnor and the legacy that she wanted to leave behind so they made a very special donation in her honor. The owner of artist of AA and Beek, Victor Barranco, created a very special memorial to honor Sydnor?s work with the children at Chevy Chase Community Center in northeast D.C. Francesca Scott, who is a program coordinator at the Chevy Chase Community Center accepted the art piece. Scott was able to speak candidly and provide insight as to just how much work Syndor and her sister did the kids. The two had planned and hosted the Valentine?s Day tea party every year for the kids. This story touched the Pay it Forward team so Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group donated a total of $1,500 to the Chevy Chase Community Center to help out with the tea party and other holiday activities. Easterns also donated another $1,500 to the mother of Sydnor to officially kick-start the Jamahri Sydnor Memorial Fund. The overall goal of the fund will be to create a scholarship in Sydnor?s name to help heading to college in the D.C. metro area.

If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, or Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and worthy of being recognized, CLICK HERE to nominate them.

 

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Eastern Motors Jingle Commercial | Brian Orakpo, Jordan Reed, & Bradley Beal

Jingle, Throwback Thursday

We have a special treat for you all this week! Of course, it?s time for our Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week but this one is special. The stars of this week?s commercial clip are Jordan Reed of the Washington Redskins, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, and Brian Orakpo (formerly) of the Washington Redskins. This commercial was shot back in 2014 before Orakpo became a player for the Tennessee Titans. What makes this clip so special is that Easterns had players of both the NBA and NFL in one commercial. People in the community were very excited about this especially because majority of them are die-hard Washington fans period. People in the DMV metro area always show up and support no matter the sport or league. Any athlete that is good at their sport and a respectful individual will always gain the likes of fans in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. Reed, Orakpo, and Beal had such a blast filming this commercial because they were able to get outside their comfort zone. You can see them smirking and dancing while singing the jingle. It?s always refreshing seeing athletes off the field when they can showcase their fun personality. These guys really did make it their own. Who wouldn?t want a car from Easterns after watching this? What a fun shoot!

Pay It Forward | So What Else

Community,

It?s about that time again for another Pay It Forward segment brought to you by Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC. This segment highlights a very special nonprofit organization in the DC area. So What Else was created by Bob Schless and Dave Silbert. The two had a goal in mind and that was to provide after school and summer programs for underprivileged children. Together, they turned their dream into a reality and to date So What Else provides more than 40 hours of after school programs across the DMV area. It takes 1,000 volunteers to provide help for the 60 projects under the So What Else umbrella. Silbert and Schless are firm believers that it is very important to instill the important of giving back into the children at a young age so they will be inspired to pay it forward and help others.
One of the remarkable aspects of So What Helps is that they take a very different approach in terms of programming. The kids are involved in various different projects involving technology and innovation as well as providing a holistic approach. Some of the most recent projects included children building a park bench out of recyclables, collecting trash at a park, and creating art for sick children in the hospital.

The programs offered by So What Else are completely free for the children that attend. This is one of the reasons why Schless and Silbert want to make sure that the most deserving children are able to participate. Easterns and Fox 5 DC heard their story and the powerful things that they are doing in the community. The two Pay It Forward partners decided to present So What Else with a check for $1,500, yoga mats, snacks, and $200 extra dollars for a Christmas pizza party. The money from the check will help up to five children attend their camp. We must commend So What Else for the amazing work they are doing in the community.

Learn more about So What Else and their mission
Click Here
 

Link to original story

6 Seconds with Josh Norman

Community, Washington Football Team

Josh Norman of the Washington Redskins recently came to the Eastern Motors headquarters in Sterling, Virginia to film a series of commercial spots. He really believes in the Easterns brand and is very excited to have another family that extends beyond the Redskins organization. Of course, Norman didn?t come alone. He came with two of his teammates, Ryan Kerrigan and Kirk Cousins. The three of them collectively make up what is known as the Easterns All Star Team. Whenever Easterns can manage to get these guys together off the field, you can be sure there will be nothing but laughter and good times. They each shot their own individual commercials that will be posted in the next few weeks but we first wanted to share Norman?s 6 Seconds. This is just a brief introduction and a small preview of many come. Stay tuned for more!

Please visit www.easterns.com to find out why Easterns is the #1 car dealership choice for residents in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia).

Eastern Motors Commercial w/ Ray Lewis (Rips Tire Off A Vehicle)

Community, Throwback Thursday,

It?s time for another Throwback Thursday Clip of the Week. In this week?s commercial, we have Baltimore?s very own Ray Lewis aka Inspector 52. Lewis played for the Baltimore Ravens as a linebacker for 17 years. He wasn?t born in Baltimore but the city still claims him as their own since he has done so much for football as well as the community. Easterns also has strong ties in Baltimore having a location in Rosedale, Maryland which is just outside of the city. It only made sense to bring Lewis on board and show the people of the DC, Maryland, and Virginia community that two strong forces can come together and create magic. Lewis starred in a series of commercials including this one being referred to as ?Inspector 52?. The reason for this is because in each clip he is inspecting a certain part of a vehicle to show the vigorous inspection that vehicles from Easterns go through before they even make it to the lot.