<\/p>\n
Sames Auto Group CEO Evelyn Sames\u00a0on March 31, 2026, at Sames Honda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
David Gomez Jr. \/Laredo Morning Times<\/p>\n
President and CEO of Driscoll Health System\u00a0on March 31, 2026, at\u00a0Sames Honda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
David Gomez Jr. \/Laredo Morning Times<\/p>\n
Sames Auto Group leaders and\u00a0Driscoll Health System administration pose for a photo\u00a0on March 31, 2026, at\u00a0Sames Honda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
David Gomez Jr. \/Laredo Morning Times<\/p>\n
A simple trip to a car dealership this April could help make a difference for children and families across South Texas.<\/p>\n
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Sames Auto Group launched its \u201cTest Drive for Smiles\u201d campaign, a monthlong initiative that will raise funds for Driscoll Children\u2019s Hospital through community participation.<\/p>\n
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For every test drive completed in April, the dealership group will donate $10 to the hospital, with a goal of reaching 2,000 test drives across its locations in Laredo, Corpus Christi, McAllen and Harlingen.<\/p>\n
The program was announced during an event at Sames Honda, where company leaders and Driscoll officials highlighted the impact the partnership could have on local families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis initiative is especially meaningful to me because of my personal connection with Driscoll Children\u2019s Hospital,\u201d said Evelyn\u00a0Sames, CEO of Sames Auto Group. \u201cEvery single test drive represents support for a child, relief for a family, and critical resources that allow\u00a0Driscoll to continue delivering the care our community depends on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Driscoll Children\u2019s Hospital serves a wide South Texas region, providing care to more than 175,000 children. Hospital leaders said community-driven efforts like this help expand services and ensure families can access care closer to home.<\/p>\n
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Eric Hamon, president and CEO of Driscoll Health System, said the partnership comes as the hospital looks to deepen its presence in Laredo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe Laredo is a great market, and we want to make a long-term investment here,\u201d Hamon said, noting plans to expand services in the coming years. \u201cHealth care is local, and it\u2019s important for families to be able to stay close to home, especially during difficult times.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamon added that future expansions could include specialized services such as pediatric oncology, which currently requires families to travel outside the city.<\/p>\n
In addition to raising funds, organizers said the campaign is meant to bring the community together around a shared cause.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhen you get in that vehicle, it\u2019s not just about the vehicle,\u201d Hamon said. \u201cYou\u2019re helping out the kids, you\u2019re helping out the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Driscoll officials emphasized that donations support not only hospital care but also outreach efforts in communities like Laredo, including training for local emergency responders and health care providers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some families, it\u2019s harder to smile when a child is sick or injured,\u201d said Jeremy Goodman, director of critical care transport for\u00a0Driscoll. \u201cThese efforts help us provide those smiles back to children and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Sames Auto Group, founded in 1910 and headquartered in Laredo, said the campaign reflects its ongoing commitment to giving back to the community it serves.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you take a test drive this April, it\u2019s more than just a drive,\u201d Sames said. \u201cIt\u2019s a chance to change a child\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sames Auto Group CEO Evelyn Sames\u00a0on March 31, 2026, at Sames Honda.\u00a0 David Gomez Jr. \/Laredo Morning Times…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":229053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[155,157,156],"class_list":["post-229052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-corpus-christi","tag-corpus-christi","tag-corpus-christi-headlines","tag-corpus-christi-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}