Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — When it comes to giving back to the community, the ball is always in your court.
The Utah Jazz and Ken Garff Automotive teamed up with Utah's largest nonprofit provider of disability services, TURN Community Services, to prove just that at the Delta Center on Thursday.
"Despite facing some significant challenges and limitations in their lives, our community members live fully involved, well-rounded lives where they are celebrating joys, successes, milestones and goals," said Alyssa DeHart, TURN's director of development and communications.
The Jazz worked with TURN and Ken Garff to bring over 100 adults with disabilities from TURN's Utah County day programs to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City for a day of crafts, dancing, basketball and community bonding. The Jazz Bear, members of the Jazz dance team, two Jazz camp coaches, and a small army of Ken Garff dealership employees attended the event to help the TURN community members let loose by playing basketball and having a dance party.
"For a lot of of our community members who are here today, it's a dream come true to be here because they are huge fans of the Jazz," DeHart said, explaining that the TURN organization's mission statement revolves largely around "turning dreams into reality."
Caretakers and volunteers looked on and cheered as the TURN community members entered the stadium through one of the tunnel entrances just like Jazz players would.
Jason Frampton, market president of Ken Garff Automotive, explained that brands and companies that are well-recognized throughout the state must work together to take advantage of their influence to serve the community. Frampton explained that the company's community service initiative, "We're hear for you," is extremely popular among employees and they look forward to participating in projects like the event they helped host on Thursday.
I get to enjoy the event today as a father of a disabled adult son, and as an employer seeing our employees' eyes light up with joy as they serve others.
– Jason Frampton, Ken Garff Automotive
"Events like today where we are serving adults with disabilities really hits home for me, because I have a disabled adult son," Frampton said.
The company prioritizes giving back to not only serve the community but to increase the quality of life of their own employees who relish the opportunity to participate.
"I get to enjoy the event today as a father of a disabled adult son, and as an employer seeing our employees' eyes light up with joy as they serve others," Frampton said.
Through Ken Garff's "We're hear for you" initiative, each of the company's 22 dealerships across the state of Utah engage in at least one community service event or project every business quarter — resulting in what Frampton estimates as hundreds of successful community service projects since the initiative's inception in 2020.
"I know the joy we get out of taking care of our own son and we know how much work it is. So when I see the volunteers and employees from TURN that deal with the stress of being a caretaker all day long, I think doing something like this is a nice break for them too," Frampton said. "Watching everyone's eyes light up is just a really big joy to me."
DeHart said that events like this greatly benefit TURN community members because new experiences can help expand their understanding and perspective of the world and remind them that they are valued members of society.
"The goal here was to expand their horizons by bringing them to this place that a lot of them value because it's where the Jazz plays," DeHart said. "Really it's about community connection, all these wonderful Ken Garff employees are connecting with the individuals we serve and because of that, the individuals we serve get to make new friends and form new, meaningful connections."
