Car dealer collects $19,000 to help patients travel to UVA Children’s hospital

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – The pediatric cancer program at UVA Children’s Hospital just received a $19,000 check.

Carter Myers Automotive in Charlottesville has been doing a “Fuel the Fight” initiative for about a decade, and donating to UVA Children’s for even longer, seeking to ensure that families can access treatments without the added stress of transportation costs.

“I was kind of gobsmacked, actually,” said Dr. Michael Engel, Division Director of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at UVA Children‘s. “I mean, that’s an amazing amount of money, and I know that it comes from many, many small gifts, collectively put together that have come from across the community.”

Dr. Engel has served families from all across the state, from urban, suburban, and rural areas.

“The average family, I believe, if I have this right, drives on average 2 hours to come to UVA Children’s for cancer treatments for their child,” said Liza Borches, President of Carter Myers Automotive.

Borches says she will continue to raise money each year—as much as it takes.

“The best solution would be for us to find a way to get rid of cancer affecting kids in our communities,” Borches said. “I hope that at some point in the future, we wouldn’t need to be raising these monies.”

Dr. Engel says this grant will go towards things we often take for granted, like filling up a gas tank.

“People have such amazing generosity when you give them the chance,” Dr. Engel said. “I just want to make sure that that the community understands how much we appreciate them.”

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