Thank you for allowing Greeley Subaru to be a part of this great story!

This article was written by Rick Powers who is a very good friend of our dealership:

In January of 2014, I learned of the Sperry Family and their plight.  Jay and Donna Sperry (Jay a veteran fireman, Donna a teacher & artist) have a daughter named Kelley who is 24 yrs old.  Donna was once an aspiring CNA in the medical field; Kelley their daughter has been battling a horrible combo of Epilepsy and Perry Romberg disease which has forced her to be totally dependent on her family.  The Epilepsy creates multiple body-stiffening seizures daily, often resulting in uncontrolled falls.  The Perry Romberg causes the facial bones on one side to deteriorate, resulting in the skin pulling away as well, disfiguring the face.  Kelley has had over 20 surgeries on her face due to the disease.  She has a service dog named Kobi who has saved her life repeatedly by ushering her to chairs and couches when he senses seizures coming on, as well as laying with her to help ride out the seizure.  

Traveling across the country as often as they could to specialists and medical centers took a toll, along with the surgeries and medications, which bankrupted the family.  Another challenge was the fact that they were loading up and traveling in a small compact car including the service dog and luggage to make these trips across country, which worsened Kelley's pain level each time.
When I learned of their situation, I met with Pastor Dave Slone whom I knew from my time at Weld County Garage, as well as Warren & Lee Yoder.  All three of these men are staunch followers of Christ, and huge figures in local outreach programs of their own.  They didn't hesitate to help the family.  My plan was to raise funds through the oil industry here locally and use the money to help buy a reliable and larger vehicle for the family, hoping for around $20,000.00 total.  In the beginning, many local companies lined up to help, but unfortunately a certain company backed out of donating altogether, which set us back by $15,000.00.  It was a hard pill to swallow, but I trusted that God put this family on my heart for a reason.  

Chipping away at the goal creatively, I began making and selling abstract canvas paintings of American flags and donating the profits to the fundraiser.  I also made reclaimed wood furniture, wine racks, and other items using discarded pallet wood and donated wood scraps from local new home construction sites.  Area businesses helped out as well, including Pelican Joe's Pizza in Windsor, Colorado where a fundraiser pizza day was held.  Many people in the community bought paintings and reclaimed wood products to give help support the cause.  A huge thank you to Select Energy Services, ARDENT, Dave's Flow Measurement, Widow Maker Bucking Bulls, Max Muscle, Windsor Flooring, Coral Bay Liquors and Main Street Properties for donating to help the family.    
One year and one month later, just this past week, we saw the dream to fruition, raising a total of over $5,000.00 for the family.  Trading in their compact car, and using the funds raised through the drive, Greeley Subaru got the Sperry family into a great late model Suburban at cost, with an added maintenance warranty to protect them from any future worries!  This endeavor speaks volumes about doing something bigger than self, leading by serving, and rallying together for a local family in need.  I am grateful to have played a part in it.  On behalf of the Sperry Family, thanks so much to all who helped see this dream become a reality.  A positive update is that although Kelley still struggles with the diseases daily, she has not let it slow her down, and has become a certified service dog trainer to help other disabled people live better lives.  A true champion.