Five Good Things: Trucking and automotive leaders support students, veterans, and nonprofits

DHL delivers Christmas trees to overseas troops for 22 years as part of 'Operation Holiday Cheer' 

For the 22nd consecutive year, DHL made the season brighter by sending hundreds of Christmas trees to U.S. troops stationed in Bahrain, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait.

"Being away from family and friends during the holidays is never easy, especially for service members abroad," Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express U.S., said. "Through Operation Holiday Cheer, we are bringing comfort, joy, and a touch of home to our troops. This effort is a meaningful way for us to show support for those who sacrifice so much, and we are honored to use our global network to deliver a bit of holiday comfort to our troops overseas."

Operation Holiday Cheer began with an event at Dees' Nursery in Oceanside, New York. Veterans, local community members, schoolchildren, and Nassau County officials joined the celebration, with Santa making a special appearance. Students read their letters to soldiers, followed by a performance of holiday and patriotic songs by the American Bombshells.

Following the celebration, a police motorcade accompanied the convoy from Dees' Nursery to DHL's JFK Gateway facility, where trees, decorations, letters, and more were loaded onto a DHL 767 jet. After a brief stop at DHL's Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport hub, the shipment headed to the DHL Bahrain hub before reaching U.S. military bases in the region.

Mercedes-Benz USA donates eSprinter vans in support of the 2025 'Holidays with Love' campaign

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) recently started the annual "Holidays with Love" campaign, featuring donations of all-electric Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vans to organizations across the country. This year’s “12 Days of Christmas” initiative brings together 12 Mercedes-Benz brand ambassadors, who will give the gift of sustainable, reliable transportation to deserving organizations making a difference in their communities.

“Mercedes-Benz USA is proud to celebrate this holiday season together with our incredible brand ambassadors through our most ambitious ‘Holidays with Love’ activation yet,” Jee-Seop Kim, managing director, Mercedes-Benz Vans USA, said. “The versatile, all-electric eSprinter is a true workhorse and the perfect tool to help empower and more sustainably mobilize the highly deserving charities across the country selected by our ambassadors so they can keep up the crucial work they do serving the communities where they operate.”

Participating ambassadors and their selected organizations include:

• Martha Stewart, Northwell's Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH)
• Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, The Ludacris Foundation (TLF)
• Lucy Liu, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)
• Jess Hart, Baby2Baby
• Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Public Schools (APS)
• Madelaine Petsch
• Brad Guzan, Northside Youth Organization (NYO)
• Matt Ryan, Raising Expectations Inc.
• Kirk Cousins, City of Refuge
• Nigel Sylvester, Springfield Rifles and Riflettes Youth Sports Inc.
• Miles Chamley-Watson, American Heart Association (AHA)
• Tracee Ellis Ross, The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

MBUSA is also donating vans to several Atlanta nonprofit organizations, including FurKids and The Metro Atlanta Furniture Bank. FurKids, Georgia’s largest no-kill animal shelter and rescue, will benefit from the eSprinter van, as it recently lost its animal transportation van in a vehicle crash this past October. The Metro Atlanta Furniture Bank also suffered a warehouse fire earlier this year.

Trucking Cares Foundation donates $10,000 to support veterans

The Trucking Cares Foundation recently donated $10,000 to At Ease USA, a nonprofit dedicated to providing support and treatment to active and retired military families and healthcare workers.

"The trucking industry takes great pride in the fact that roughly 10% of all professional truck drivers in the U.S. are military veterans, and one in four veterans is a trucker,” TCF Chairman Greg Owen, head coach of Ability Tri-Modal, said. “From drivers to technicians to logistics experts, the trucking industry depends on veterans to fill so many different roles within our industry, the backbone of the nation’s economy. The Trucking Cares Foundation is proud to support At Ease USA’s mission to improve the wellness of veterans and their families in need."

"At Ease USA is deeply grateful to the Trucking Cares Foundation for this generous gift supporting our military heroes,” Beth Kramer, executive director of At Ease USA, said. “Since 2022, At Ease has seen a 630% increase in those seeking care—a clear sign of the growing need for trauma-informed mental health services. This gift will help us reach even more veterans and families with the care they deserve.”

Toyota donates $75,000 to Music Will

Toyota recently partnered with nonprofit Music Will, the largest nonprofit music program in the U.S., and made a donation of $75,000 to further support aspiring young artists. The organization delivers hands-on, culturally responsive music education to more than 1,000,000 students in thousands of public schools nationwide.

"It's been a pleasure working and connecting with students through music, which is a universal connector," Kaitlin Marie Pennell, senior analyst, Toyota, said. "Supporting emerging artists has been part of what Toyota has been doing for so many years, and it's exciting when we see it come to life through partnerships with rising artists like ELA Taubert and through our work with festival partners that provided great real-life experiences for students from Music Will who took part in these opportunities."

The partnership with Music Will took students from the classroom to performances at festivals and a live concert. Participating students performed at two Toyota-sponsored festivals, including ONE Musicfest in Atlanta and Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in Los Angeles. In addition, students from Verdugo Hills High School had a chance to meet and chat with rising Latin Grammy-winning artist, Ela Taubert, who shared her musical journey with them and provided a behind-the-scenes look at her concert in Los Angeles. 

"We're so grateful to Toyota for investing in our mission and giving kids an experience of a lifetime," Janice Polizzotto, chief growth officer, Music Will, said. "We're incredibly proud of our students and teachers who continue to inspire us with their creativity, confidence, and ambition. These young musicians are a glimpse of the rising artists shaping the future—and it's exciting to know Toyota is helping support that next generation. We can't wait to see what grows from this new partnership and the possibilities ahead."

Chevrolet powers holiday magic across America

Teaming up with local dealers, Chevrolet recently hit the road to bring holiday cheer to five cities across the country with the Holiday Magic Tour—a convoy of Silverado EVs driving nearly 3,000 miles across America to bring festive fun to families in local communities.

The convoy began in San Diego, traveled to Dallas, Nashville, and Atlanta, and ended in Chevy’s hometown of Detroit, where it put on the largest drone show the city had ever seen.

Guests also enjoyed holiday-themed treats and activities, including hot cocoa and face painting. A full lineup of Chevy’s latest products—from the new Bolt to the Silverado ZR2—was on display. At every stop, the Marines and Toys for Tots collected donations to spread joy to families in need. In Atlanta, Chevy donated over 1,000 toys to the local chapter.