Tom Durant, a TTHBPA Board member and one of the leading racehorse owners in Texas, pledged to match any donations raised by his employees at two car dealerships he owns - Classic Chevrolet and Classic Hummer. Those employees came through in a big way, and on Thursday, September 8, Durant, surrounded by many of his employees, handed over a check for $85,300 to the Salvation Army.

It was more than anyone expected. Even Tom Durant, owner of Classic Chevrolet and Classic Hummer was surprised. In the course of just a few days, the employees of Classic Chevrolet and Classic Hummer answered a call from their boss.

“It is time for us to step up and try to help make a difference,” Mr. Durant said in his email to his managers. He continued, “Start passing the hat and collecting money in the Hurricane Katrina relief fund. I will match whatever is raised.”

Mr. Durant had confidence in his employees, who proved that they were more than up to the challenge.

“My employees met the challenge, and kept raising the bar,” explained Mr. Durant. “And when we hit that mark, they raised it again.”

Within less than 36 hours, Classic Chevrolet and Classic Hummer employees had raised $42,650. True to his word, Tom Durant matched that amount with a personal check.

Noted Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex sports media personality Randy Galloway of KESN (ESPN RADIO 103.3 FM) was more than happy to air the donation live from a remote broadcast of the Classic Chevrolet Football Firing Line on Thursday, September 8. Present to collect the donation was Major Bill Mockabee, the area commander for the Salvation Army.

“I didn’t know how much money Mr. Durant was going to give us until they held up the check,” commented Major Mockabee. “I was shocked to see how much he raised.”

Mr. Mockabee addressed the large crowd gathered at the Boston’s Pizza where the event was held. He said, “As you know, we have 25,000 refugees right here in the area; this will be of great use. We cannot thank you enough.”

In his usual manner, Tom Durant directed the praise to his employees. “All I did was start the process,” he explained, continuing, “My employees did the rest.”