The 2025 Subaru Love Promise Community Commitment Award
We are honored to be nationally recognized by Subaru of America, Inc. for our dedication to our community, and the Subaru Love Promise.
The 2025 Subaru Love Promise Community Commitment Award recognizes elite Subaru retailers who provide an exceptional customer experience at every interaction with Subaru. These retailers have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting passions and causes in their local communities in important areas such as environment, community, health, education, and pets.
What is the Subaru Love Promise®?
The Subaru Love Promise® is our vision to show love and respect to all people at every interaction with Subaru. Subaru and our retailers believe every day gives us an opportunity to positively impact the world around us - by how we support each other, our customers, and our community. Together, we are committed to making the world a better place.
The Love Promise is what makes Subaru More Than a Car Company® and a Subaru retailer More Than a Car Dealer®. It sets a standard that we are committed to living every day.
Subaru and its retailers partner with Operation Warm® to visit local homeless shelters and support agencies to provide children with brand-new necessities like coats, shoes, and socks.
Community
Providing comfort, hope, and confidence to children in urgent need.
Subaru and its retailers partner with Operation Warm®️ to visit local homeless shelters and support agencies to provide children with brand-new necessities like coats, shoes, and socks.
These essential items not only help keep children protected, warm, and dry, they can also have a significant impact on a child’s mental and emotional well-being.
Through this partnership and other historical Subaru Loves to Help efforts, Subaru and retailers like us will have supported over 1 million children and adults in urgent need nationwide.
At Subaru, we believe what we leave behind is a reflection of who we are.
Environment
At Subaru, we believe what we leave behind is a reflection of who we are. That's why Subaru and our retailers partner with the Arbor Day Foundation (TM) to provide and distribute 100,000 regionally appropriate trees across the country. We're proud to establish the largest corporate tree distribution ever. Through this and other Subaru Loves the Earth initiatives, Subaru and our retailers have helped distribute and plant over 1.1 million trees.
Subaru believes we should all have a chance to lead a healthy life.
Health
Subaru believes we should all have a chance to lead a healthy life. That's why for the past 10 years, Subaru and its retailers like us have partnered with Blood Cancer United® and our local hospital or cancer treatment center to give warm blankets and encouraging messages of hope, written by our staff and customers to support patients facing cancer. Through our efforts during this decade-long partnership, we've supported nearly 500,000 cancer patients nationwide. Together, we are proud to be Blood Cancer United's largest automotive donor.
Subaru and its retailers, like us, are continuing our support of education and high-needs schools in our communities through Subaru Loves Learning(R) by providing teachers across the country with funding to purchase the school supplies and resources they know are needed to help students thrive in the classroom.
Education
Subaru and its retailers, like us, are continuing our support of education and high-needs schools in our communities through Subaru Loves Learning(R) by providing teachers across the country with funding to purchase the school supplies and resources they know are needed to help students thrive in the classroom. Through our partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, Subaru and its retailers have supported more than 950,000 students nationwide and are proud to be their largest corporate supporter.
Subaru believes all pets deserve a loving home.
Pets
Subaru believes all pets deserve a loving home. That's why retailers like us partner with our local animal welfare organization every October to provide direct financial assistance through a grant distributed by the ASPCA® and host pet events to help animals find loving homes. Through our partnership with local and national organizations, Subaru has donated over $70 million, supporting the rescue, adoption, and health of over 700,000 animals. We're proud to be the largest corporate donor to the ASPCA.
Subaru and its retailers believe in giving back to our communities.
The Subaru Share the Love ® Event
Subaru and its retailers believe in giving back to our communities. That's why for every new vehicle sold or leased during the Subaru Share the Love event, Subaru and its retailers, like us, makes a donation to national charities that our owners care about and to over 2,700 local charities where Subaru owners live and work.
Now, after 17 years, Subaru and our retailers have donated nearly $320 million to charity all to give back and to make the world a better place.
How is Thelen Subaru Dedicated Locally to the Love Promise?
Our Love Promise can be seen in various partnerships with local charities and non-profits. We're grateful for the opportunity, not only to be a part of our community, but to serve as well. We are proud of our employees that volunteer their time and talent to the many charities we support through the Thelen Family Foundation. We are proud to be a part of making the community we live in just a little bit better.
Humane Society | Mid Michigan Rescue | Angels Among Us | Michigan Reptile Rescue | A Few Steps From Home
State Theater | Bijou Orchestra | Bay Area Family YMCA | Toys for Tots | Bay City Fireworks Festival
Delta College | SVSU | Northwood University | All Saints Central HS | Saint Stans Athletic Club
Ducks Unlimited | Whitetail Unlimited | Sierra Club Foundation | Arbor Day Foundation
American Heart Association | American Cancer Society | Helen M Nickless free clinic | Bay Medical Charties | CAN Council
Oreo Cheesecake’s Purr-fect Match - Karma P.
Oreo Cheesecake came to us as a sweet little loner. She loved her own space and wasn’t always a fan of sharing it with other cats — sometimes even scaring off potential adopters with her independent, tough-girl attitude. But thanks to the Subaru Love Promise, Oreo’s journey to her forever home was made possible. ?? When her perfect family walked in, Oreo knew exactly what to do — she crawled right into their lap as if to say, “Please take me home.” It was instant love for everyone, and from that moment, Oreo had found her people. Today, Oreo Cheesecake is living her best life, enjoying all the love and attention she’s always deserved — on her own terms, of course. ???? Thank you, Subaru, for helping make stories like Oreo’s possible.
Subaru blessed our family with a tree - Alena G.
I want to give a special thanks to Thelen Subaru in Bay City MI, for this wonderful gift they gave our family. We have been wanting to plant a family tree for several years now, and Subaru made it happen. We look forward to the many years of memories we build around each and every branch. God bless you Subaru!!
Thelen Subaru Teams Up to Support Local Community - Shellee B.
Imagine going without a coat, shoes, or even socks. For millions of children and adults experiencing homelessness and other urgent need situations across the country, even here in Bay City, this is a harsh reality. Helping others strengthens communities, which is why Thelen Subaru is partnering with Operation Warm®, a national nonprofit focused on connecting children with the resources they need to thrive. Through this partnership and other Subaru Loves to Help® efforts, Subaru and retailers like Thelen Subaru have helped nearly 900,000 children and adults in urgent need. On 01/15/2025, Thelen Subaru donated 204 coats to Good Samaritan Rescue Mission. These essential items not only help keep children protected, warm, and dry, it can have a significant impact on a child's mental and emotional well-being.
Thelen Subaru Delivers Love and Care - Mary G.
In the heart of Michigan, a simple act of kindness is making a big difference. This June, Thelen Subaru extended more than just customer care—they extended compassion. As part of Subaru’s annual Subaru Loves to Care campaign, the dealership delivered a generous donation of cozy blankets to MyMichigan Medical Center, bringing warmth and comfort to cancer patients undergoing treatment. For patients battling cancer, even the smallest comforts can have a profound impact. The road through chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery is often cold—both physically and emotionally. The soft touch of a warm blanket can offer not only physical relief but also a sense of being cared for and remembered. “It may seem small, but to someone fighting cancer, a warm blanket feels like a hug,” said a nurse from the Cancer Center. “These gestures show our patients they’re not alone.” Thelen Subaru has long been known for its commitment to community values, and this year’s donation is another chapter in that legacy. The delivery included dozens of high-quality blankets, each thoughtfully packaged with encouraging notes—small tokens that remind patients they are supported, even by those they’ve never met. “At Subaru, we believe in being more than a car company,” said a representative from Thelen Subaru. “We believe in being a positive force in the communities we serve. Supporting cancer patients at MyMichigan Medical Center is our way of sharing a little warmth, hope, and strength.” The impact was immediate. Smiles spread across faces as patients received their blankets—some with tears, others with gratitude, all with a renewed sense of connection. In a world that often moves too fast, Thelen Subaru’s gesture reminds us that slowing down to care for others is what truly drives a community forward. Because sometimes, a warm blanket is more than just a gift—it’s a lifeline.
Thelen Subaru Supports Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan - Matt H.
Thelen Subaru of Bay City, MI, continues to support Good Samaritan Rescue Mission as its Share the Love® Event hometown charity. Thelen donated nearly $17,000 to Good Samaritan through this program in 2025, which will provide more than 560 nights of shelter for those in need. Pictured at the 2025 Share the Love Event check presentation is Rescue Ministries CEO Dan Streeter and Thelen Subaru General Sales Manager Kelly Isbell. "We are so thankful for Thelen's faithful support over the years," Streeter said. "Thousands of people have been helped thanks to the Share the Love Event at Thelen Subaru." Good Samaritan is part of Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan, a faith-based nonprofit organization that provides hope and care for those experiencing homelessness in the Great Lakes Bay Region. For more information about Good Samaritan and Rescue Ministries, please visit rescuemidmichigan.org.
Thelen Subaru Supports Good Samaritan Rescue Mission of Bay City With HUGE Donation of Coats - Matt H.
Thelen Subaru has once again joined with Operation Warm to support those in need at Good Samaritan Rescue Mission of Bay City. Thelen staff visited the mission with a HUGE donation of more than 200 coats. The coats came in all styles and sizes, and are intended for children staying at the shelter. Good Samaritan and Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan is SO thankful for Thelen's ongoing care and generosity!
Studio 23–Free Art Fridays - Megan K.
Studio 23's Free Art Friday, proudly sponsored by Thelen Subaru, offered our Great Lakes Bay Region community free, guided art projects every Friday throughout the summer. This inclusive program welcomed participants of all ages and skill levels to explore various art forms, from painting to mixed media to ceramics. With Thelen Subaru’s generous support, the program fostered creativity, brought people together, and made art accessible to everyone, enriching the cultural fabric of our community.
Supporting Bay County, MI River - Tracy K.
The Kawkawlin River Watershed Association is a local non-profit that not only obtains grants for dredging and other things like filter strips for farm fields to help the water quality of the run-off, but we also help mark the channel into the Saginaw Bay (part of Lake Huron). We also host a river clean-up event each year along with one annual fundraiser, the KRWA Pirate Paddle. For the past 9 years, Thelen Subaru and Anthony Christie from the dealership has support our event, not only by donating a kayak to be raffled off, but Anthony also participates in the event and helps spread the word. Our event has grown from about 30 participants to almost 300, and our social media posts have reached thousands of people - who now know who we are and what we do. It takes the support of the community and especially our local businesses to make our events and our organization a success, and Thelen Subaru is one of the best!
A Story of Resilience: Josie’s Journey to Recovery - Karma P.
Meet Josie, a remarkable dog with an incredible story of survival and transformation. Not long ago, Josie was brought in with burns on her skin, bearing scars from boiling water and malnutrition. Her weakened state left her with little muscle development in her legs and feet. Thanks to help from Thelen Subaru, our amazing fosters and our compassionate supporters, Josie received the life-saving care she desperately needed. She was provided with nourishing food, medical treatments, and the rehabilitation necessary to build her strength and regain her spirit. Today, Josie is thriving in a loving home, a living testament to the healing power of kindness and community support.
John Glenn High School - Kevin B.
John Glenn High School was chosen to be part of the Subaru Loves Learning® initiative. Anthony Christie from Thelen Subaru presented teachers with the Subaru Adopt a Classroom bus and certificates to celebrate the donation to their individual classrooms. Our teachers received a generous donation of $500 each ($3,000 total) for purchasing new classroom resources and teaching supplies to help support our students in their learning. We are so thankful that Thelen Subaru chose to bless our school with this donation.
Did Thelen Subaru go above and beyond, provide exceptional service, or support causes that are important to you? We'd love to hear about it.
