Gregg Middlekauff came to the Magic Valley area of Twin Falls, Idaho more than ten years ago to open a Ford Lincoln Mercury dealership. From the beginning, his vision was not to just sell cars. Rather, as he described it, “I want to make a real impact on the community.”

Since then, he has been dedicated to that goal.  Gregg Middlekauff spends as much time with local youth and the community organizations he supports, as he does working at his successful dealership. The motto of the charitable foundation he created, The Middlekauff Foundation, affirms his vision: “Change a child’s life…change the world.” The Foundation, founded by Gregg and his wife Sallee, supports many causes and children throughout the Magic Valley and reflects their commitment to the youth in the area. “That is my primary area of focus - I try to do everything I can possibly do to point children in the right direction,” said Middlekauff.

The list of Middlekauff’s community activities is staggering in its scope, but is built around a single theme: helping the youth of Twin Falls and the Magic Valley.; From being the president of the local Boys and Girls Club to providing thousands of dollars for student scholarships, to helping individual families in times of crisis and creating the Middlekauff Foundation, Gregg knows the future is in our children.

“Twin Falls and the Magic Valley are a far better place to live because of Gregg Middlekauff and the example he sets for others”, wrote Conn Famuliner, Zone Manager for Ford Motor Company in his nomination of Middlekauff. “The great thing about Gregg is he doesn’t expect awards and will continue to give and support those in need simply because he doesn’t know how to live any other way,” continued Famuliner. “He is a big man with an even bigger heart, and no one is more giving or more accessible to this community.”

Gregg’s involvement extends far beyond his own foundation, however. He also sits on the board of directors for the Southern Idaho Learning Center, an organization that works with children who have learning disabilities, once again contributing time and money assuring its success.The entire Middlekauff family is involved in the St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation for the construction of a new hospital. Every year, Gregg helps the Danny Marona Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation, assisting with their annual charity auction and fundraiser for performing arts students.

Gregg’s support of students and youth extends through high school and college as well. He has provided scholarships for over 50 Magic Valley and surrounding area high school students and set up a matching scholarship fund for the Medford High School reunion. The $20,000 raised last year will provide 10 years of financial assistance for five students.

Middlekauff also sponsored a college scholarship for a local Miss Twin Falls Pageant winner, including providing a new car each year of college.   At the same time, he also provides a new car to a selected Boise State University student athlete, and has supported the College of Southern Idaho and their athletic department over the last nine years with donations totaling over $100,000.

Middlekauff’s community involvement is evident during times of individual need as well.  Recently, Gregg personally paid to have a video produced with a full film crew in the hopes of helping a local family get a new home on ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, lining up a contractor that would donate all the work.  He supported a family where both the mother and father died in one year. He arranged for the funeral of another young child lost tragically in a car accident and set up a memorial fund for the family.

Gregg Middlekauff sees the potential in so many young lives, and he has made it the mission of his dealership to turn obstacles into opportunities for children in need. 

As owner of Pfeiffer Lincoln Mercury, Dan Pfeiffer is a staunch believer in giving back to the community that has supported him for more than forty years. Thirty two years ago, Pfeiffer was searching for a unique way to raise money for the American Cancer Society, so he started an annual car raffle. That event began right at Pfeiffer's dealership, and how has evolved into the annual Cattleman's Ball, which has raised over $1.5 million for cancer research. What started as a simple car raffle has grown into a life-long commitment to philanthropy and community service in Western Michigan. “This is such a great place to live and I'm proud to be able to help better this community," said Pfeiffer, who has spent countless hours over the past four decades devoted to various local causes.

Over the years, Pfeiffer and his wife Eunice have been instrumental in some of Grand Rapid’s largest community projects. In 2005, he helped raise over 16 million dollars and donated over 70 acres of real estate for the building and growth of Faith Hospice and the Holland Home. This hospice is the only one of its kind in the area and opens its doors to people of all religious backgrounds.

Pfeiffer believes the building of the Hospice "is one of the greater accomplishments of my life. To know I was part of a project that teamed different religious faiths together and now seeing the loving care it has already provided to Grand Rapids, is definitely an accomplishment I am proud of." Pfeiffer now sits on the Faith Hospice board, where he continues to play an active role in the organization.

Carl VerBeek, Chair of the Faith Hospice Board of Directors offers this assessment. "West Michigan is the second most generous area of the country and Dan personifies that tradition. He is respected and well liked because of his reputation for integrity, enthusiasm and generosity.”

Faith Hospice isn't the only local health effort Pfeiffer supports. As co-chair of the "Care Differently Fundraising Campaign”, he helped raise over $10 million for the construction of the new hospital for Metro Health of Grand Rapids. In honor of his financial support and service, the hospital created the "Dan and Eunice Pfeiffer Surgery Center".

Dan and his wife of 53 years, Eunice, also played a large role in the building of one of Grand Rapid's most visited attractions.

In the late 1980's, Pfeiffer was one of the founding members of an effort to bring a botanical garden to Grand Rapids, which eventually resulted in the building of the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Dan helped persuade other philanthropists and businesses to make the garden a reality.

This world-famous 125-acre botanical garden and outdoor sculpture park now receives over 600,000 visitors annually. In 2009, it received the honor of being named one of the top "30 Must-See Museums" in the world. "Every time I see a busload of children walk through the Garden's nature trails, I'm reminded of the first-class facility we were able to bring to this community," said Pfeiffer.

Pfeiffer continues to participate in his community. He also supports Habitat for Humanity, Van Singel Fines Arts Center, Grand Valley State University and the Michigan Military Preservation Society.

Ford Dealer Don Price has built a longtime tradition of business and personal excellence based on honesty, respect and community involvement in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Price focuses a good deal of his charitable efforts on the local school system, frequently providing vehicles, supplies, scholarships, and money to support educational endeavors. He routinely donates his time and funds to causes that grow and nurture education and the community such as awarding vehicles to the "Principal of the Year" for meeting the highest educational standards. Donating vehicles to the local technical college and providing resources and vehicles to support local Driver Education programs are a regular course of business. Price has also underwritten a myriad of educational fundraising efforts as well as funding scholarships, grants and other special interest goodwill efforts.

Through his involvement with the local Kiwanis Club, Don also raises money to help improve the quality of life for children in the community. As Chairman of their Special Projects Committee, he launched and continues to run a popular car raffle program that has brought in more than $250,000.

Don Price is truly a hometown hero in Fayetteville, home to Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. An Air Force veteran himself, he gives selflessly of his time and resources to assist military personnel and their families during active duty and when returning home and adjusting to civilian life.

He serves on the Special Activities Committee of both air bases, as well being a member of the Military Affairs Council. Price’s dedication to improving the quality of life for those serving in the armed forces as well as their families is far reaching. His involvement includes, but is not limited to, both financial and time commitments in support of on-base goodwill organizations.

The past few years, Price has hosted four "welcome home" dinner celebrations at his home for returning troops. He also has held an open house each of the past eight years for members of the Air Force.   He has organized and sponsored fundraisers for military family scholarships and educational funds and organized and hosted "welcome socials" for new military officers arriving in Fayetteville.

Price gets a gleam in his eye when taking about the troops. “You talk about satisfaction, these soldiers are so grateful. You can shake their hand and say, ‘I appreciate what you do,’ and you would think that it would be old hat to them, it’s their job. But it puts a smile on their faces and puts warmth in your heart to be able to help these guys who put their lives on the line for us everyday.”

Third generation Ford dealer Phil Smith is openly grateful when describing the good fortune created for his family as a result of their successful dealership in Raytown, Missouri. As he describes it, “I was born into a family that had a thriving car business, so I had opportunities that many people did not or do not have, so to me it’s very important to do everything I can to give that back to the community and others that maybe don’t have some of the opportunities.”

Smith is extremely passionate about helping those who are less fortunate both locally and overseas. At his home base in Kansas City, he volunteers every week at the St. James Food Kitchen. For the last six years, he has served as director of operations for the Wednesday night servings. Throughout this time, he has cared for and served more than 40,000 poor and homeless. Besides a hot healthy meal, Smith has provided love and respect to many who often struggle to respect themselves.

Smith has also taken on the challenge of serving the spiritually poor. Every Sunday afternoon and Monday evening he can be found in Kansas City’s Jackson County Jail, where he is counseling inmates as a chaplain’s assistant. “Sometimes it takes people hitting the very bottom to get them to take hold of the rope to help them out. I’m glad to be there if they want to grab that rope,” said Smith.

In what Smith describes as “a life changing experience”, he has been leading trips to Guatemala to assist in humanitarian aid two to three times per year for the last decade. What started as a one time mission trip, turned into a philanthropic passion and international relationship. “The vast majority of the people’s homes we would visit were mud huts. There, I found some of the most caring, most loving, most generous people that I have ever known in my entire life. I kind of got hooked and I’ve been there 27 times since then.”

During those 27 trips, Phil has changed the lives of the local Mayan community. Father Don Farnan, Pastor at St. Thomas More Parish in Kansas City commented, “It takes a special person to go the extra mile, to give their heart and their soul to something like this. I don’t think Phil would be comfortable with writing a check and saying ‘I’m done with it.’ Phil’s style is to involve himself 100% in what he does.”

During a trip in 2005, in addition to hardships from great community needs, he learned that the men and women had to also walk 10 to 20 miles and wait in line for hours to receive dental care. If they could walk that far, Smith decided he could too.

In 2006, he created the Labor of Love Walk where each year, he walks 100 miles over the course of three days to raise money for Guatemalans. Over $150,000 has been raised which has provided for needs ranging from construction, to water purification systems, and even an orphanage for physically and mentally challenged children.