When GMC introduces a new vehicle such as the 2024 Acadia, the people at GMC dealerships undergo rigorous training to help ensure they are ready to answer your questions. Typically, these are straightforward training sessions. However, recently, a group of dealers near New Orleans, La., and Memphis, Tenn., decided to do something different and had two events that not only focused on learning about the All New Acadia, but also giving back to the community.

“We pitched an idea where we would tie in a charitable activity with the All New 2024 Acadia launch,” explains Zone Manager Matt Page, who helped relay the idea to the dealers he works with. “We decided a food drive would be a great option as schools let out in May and we thought filling up the local food pantry charities would be great timing to assist with this need.”

Some people may not realize that when the school year ends there are a lot of families that lose food support during the summer.

So, while dealership employees were learning about the 2024 Acadia’s increased interior space and available technology such as the 15" premium infotainment system^* and an 11" diagonal driver information center from GMC team members, they were also helping support a food drive that covered two large areas in the South. (Learn more about the 2024 Acadia at GMC.com.)

“These dealers cover quite a lot of geography,” Page says. “For this reason, we suggested each dealer select their own charity they could get behind and maximize contributions. Additionally, once the food drive made it back to their stores, we felt the local community would be more inclined to back a familiar charity.

The great news about taking the path where the dealers selected their own charities is we were able to collectively impact seven charities in the New Orleans area and nine charities in Memphis and surrounding areas.”

The dealers collected food for the entire month of June. Though this was the first year for the event, all indications point to it becoming an annual happening. It could switch to a backpack drive in the fall or a toy drive in the winter.

After all, there’s never a shortage of need and GMC dealerships are always looking for ways to help.