PHOTOS: Meritor Employees Show Off Classic Cars, Build Walls for Charity

On Thursday, . – the Troy-based global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets – hosted its 10th annual Classic Car Show and Build-A-Wall event for Habitat for Humanity Detroit today.

With more than 160 employee volunteers and a variety of classic cars, the annual event is organized entirely by employees and funded through a combination of employee contributions and the Meritor Trust Fund.

“At Meritor, we encourage employee involvement and volunteerism in our communities around the world,” said Jerry Rush, senior director of Government and Community Relations at Meritor. “Our Metro Detroit team members are committed to a variety of local charities. Today, we were happy to work with a strong community partner like Habitat for Humanity Detroit.”

The Meritor Classic Car Show, which is traditionally held the Thursday prior to the Woodward Dream Cruise, featured more than 40 classic cars owned by current and retired Meritor employees. In addition, Paul Noakes, driver of the Meritor-sponsored National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mustang drag car, appeared at the show. Additionally, PAWS, the Detroit Tigers’ mascot, posed for photos, handed out Cracker Jacks and lent a hand building walls.

During the car show, Meritor employees built 48 interior and exterior walls as part of its Build-A-Wall event. This is Meritor’s third year building walls that will be used for Habitat for Humanity’s Fall Blitz Build Sept. 10-15 in the Morningside Commons neighborhood on Detroit’s east side.

“Habitat for Humanity Detroit is so grateful for Meritor’s continued support,” said Vincent Tilford, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit. “Today’s wall build event was just another example of its ongoing commitment to the Detroit community. We applaud Meritor for being an exemplary corporate partner and for assisting us in providing deserving, low-income working families with safe, affordable, energy-efficient homes.”

Since the event’s inception, employees have raised more than $40,000 for Habitat for Humanity Detroit, including more than $12,700 last year. The Meritor Trust Fund also contributes $25 for every employee volunteer and matches the $20 classic car show registration fees. Earlier this year, Meritor launched the “Power of Volunteering” employee initiative aimed at achieving 40,000 hours of employee community service annually by 2020.

Source: Robert Herta/Meritor