Subaru of Jacksonville “Shares the Love” with Wolfson Children’s Hospital, donates $125,000

Leaders from Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health and Subaru of Jacksonville gathered Wednesday to celebrate the success of the 13th annual Share the Love campaign and usher in a new stage of the philanthropic commitment between the local dealership and the region’s only full-service children’s hospital. This year’s campaign resulted in a $125,000 gift to Wolfson Children’s, Subaru’s largest to-date.

This donation will help fund care and advanced technology to treat critically ill and injured children at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, along with child passenger safety education through THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health at Wolfson Children’s.

During this year’s campaign, Subaru donated $250 for every new vehicle purchased or leased from Subaru of Jacksonville between November 19, 2020, and January 4, 2021. Customers could choose from four national charities for the $250 donation – including ASPCA, Make a Wish Foundation, Meals on Wheels and the National Park Foundation – or Subaru of Jacksonville’s hometown charity, Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Subaru of Jacksonville matched every $250 donation, regardless of the charity chosen by the customer, with all matching funds benefitting Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Additionally, Subaru of America and Subaru of Jacksonville donated $2 and $3, respectively, to Wolfson Children’s for every Subaru oil change at the dealership during the campaign.

Subaru of Jacksonville was the first corporate partner to support trauma services at Wolfson Children’s and established the “Subaru of Jacksonville Porter Family Trauma Services Endowment,” creating a legacy of support for generations to come. Since pledging a five-year commitment to Wolfson Children’s in 2016, Subaru of Jacksonville has donated $601,488. This year, Phil Porter, owner of Subaru of Jacksonville, extended the commitment for an additional three years, pledging a total impact of $1.25 million.

“Over the past five years, it has been an honor and privilege to focus our support during the Subaru Share the Love Event, held annually during November and December,” Porter said. “We're fortunate to have been responsible for donating a total of $601,488 in the name of Subaru of America and Subaru of Jacksonville. Wolfson Children's Hospital touches many in our community and we're proud to support such a worthy cause."

To honor this generous gift, the Wolfson Children’s Pediatric Trauma Center – the only state-designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the region – is now named the Porter Family Children’s Trauma Center. Additionally, Subaru of Jacksonville will be the presenting sponsor of Wolfson Children’s annual summer toy drive, Christmas in July, and will generously support two of Wolfson Children’s signature fundraisers, the Wolfson Children’s Challenge and Smoking Clays for Kids, which raise critical funding for life-saving equipment and technology.

Subaru of Jacksonville, in partnership with Wolfson Children’s Hospital and THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health, will also continue to host free Child Passenger Car Seat Safety Checks the first Friday of each month to ensure children are safe on the roads.

“The services we are able to provide thanks to the continued support of Phil Porter, Subaru of Jacksonville and Subaru of America are truly life-saving,” said Michael D. Aubin, FACHE, president of Wolfson Children’s Hospital and interim chief philanthropy officer for the Baptist Health Foundation. “Thanks to their generosity, we are able to advance the care and treatment of the most critically ill and injured children in our hospital, and also provide the community with resources to prevent children from getting injured to begin with.”

In addition to supporting trauma services and child passenger safety, Subaru of Jacksonville has also sponsored the Wolfson Children’s Hospital Auxiliary’s “Wolfie Wagon,” providing children and families in the hospital an opportunity to choose treats, T-shirts, balloons and other goodies at no cost.

As a not-for-profit organization, Wolfson Children's Hospital relies on charitable donations to provide world-class, specialized pediatric care for all children in the region, regardless of ability to pay. The hospital opened in 1955, with the aid of an initial gift from the Wolfson Family Foundation, as a place for all children to be admitted and treated without regard to creed, religion, race or financial position. That original mission remains today.

Subaru of Jacksonville is a family-owned and run business that was opened in August 2000 by current owner, R. Phillip Porter, in order to serve the people of Jacksonville and surrounding communities including Orange Park, Middleburg and St. Augustine. The Subaru of Jacksonville team lives in the community, works in the community and supports the community through donations, sponsorships, volunteerism and community events. Subaru of Jacksonville was awarded the 2017 Subaru Love Promise Award, a national award given to only one of over 600 dealerships, for their commitment to the community. Subaru of Jacksonville is also the recipient of DealerRater's National Subaru Dealer of the Year Award for 2020 and DealerRater's Florida Subaru Dealer of the Year Award for the seventh year in a row - 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. “We Only Do Subaru - And We Are Passionate About It.”