Goodness Comes Full Circle: Les Schwab Keeps CHF Rolling

There are some days in nonprofit work that just hit a little differently.

Days when generosity shows up in a big way. Days when you get to meet people who genuinely care about the work you are doing. And days when you stand back, watch an entire Les Schwab crew work like absolute machines, and think, Wow. This is what community looks like.

That was our afternoon at Les Schwab.

The Chelsea Hicks Foundation spends a lot of time on the road. Every month, our vehicle and trailer travel to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Randall Children’s Hospital, and Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, bringing costumes, imaginative play, and moments of joy to seriously ill children and their families. We also travel throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington picking up donations, hauling costumes and supplies, attending community events, and delivering a whole lot of sparkle wherever it is needed. Through our Costume Care Packages, our reach extends even farther, sending moments of joy to children and families across the country.

So, when the tires on our CHF vehicle and trailer needed some love, it wasn’t exactly a small thing.

Enter Les Schwab Tires for Purpose.

Community has been at the heart of Les Schwab since the very beginning. Their philosophy, Doing the Right Thing Matters®, isn’t just something written on a website. It is reflected in the way they show up for the communities where they live and work, supporting organizations, youth programs, families, and causes that make a difference.

And this time, they showed up for CHF.

When we arrived at the Tigard Les Schwab, Store Manager Robert Beeson and his team were ready for us.

Robert had already done his homework on the Chelsea Hicks Foundation before our visit. He knew about our mission and the children and families we serve, but what stood out to me was that he still wanted to know more. He took time during our visit to ask questions, learn about our programs, and better understand how our work reaches children both here in Oregon and across the country.

And then his crew got to work.

Actually, got to work might be an understatement.

These guys were machines.

Before I knew it, tires were coming off, new ones were going on, people were moving in every direction, and somehow everyone knew exactly what they were doing. Our CHF vehicle and trailer received six brand-new tires, mounted and balanced and ready to get us safely back on the road.

Meanwhile, I managed not to trip over anything, get in anyone’s way, or accidentally become part of the tire rotation process, so I considered the day a success all around.

But underneath the laughter was something that meant a great deal to us.

Every mile we drive has a purpose.

Those miles carry more than costumes. They carry the possibility that, for a little while, a hospital room can become a castle, a child can become a princess, a fearless pirate sailing the seas, a superhero ready to save the day, or even a fire-breathing dragon ruling the kingdom.

In those moments, the diagnosis doesn’t get to be the biggest thing in the room. Imagination does.

Now, thanks to Les Schwab, we can keep putting those miles behind us safely.

There is something pretty special about the way goodness works.

One organization helps another. That organization carries that generosity forward. A truck rolls down the road. A trailer filled with costumes follows behind it. Somewhere along the way, a child gets to forget about being a patient for a little while and simply play, pretend, and laugh.

And suddenly, something as simple as a set of tires becomes part of a much bigger story.

Before we left, we gathered with Robert and the crew for a photo with our newly outfitted CHF vehicle and trailer. Looking at that picture, I don’t just see new tires.

I see people who chose to show up.

I see a company living its values.

And I see one more example of what can happen when a community decides that doing the right thing really does matter.

To Robert and the entire Les Schwab Tigard team, thank you for taking care of us, for believing in what we do, and for helping keep the Chelsea Hicks Foundation rolling.

Because goodness has a funny way of coming full circle.

And thanks to Les Schwab, ours now comes with six really great tires.