Grandson: Donating A Car In His Granddad’s Name

Last year was certainly an exciting year for me.

I'd been accepted in the college program that I wanted and my family was thrilled for me. In fact, mom and dad sprung a surprise on me for my birthday that I still have to pinch myself to believe - they bought me a brand new car!

Dad smiled and said that a new beginning deserved a new set of wheels. When I asked what we should do with my old car he suggested that maybe I look into making a car donation to charity.

My old car was a great set of wheels and still a good reliable car. It had been my grandfather’s car and he’d always taken very good care of it. When he gave it to me I promised I’d do the same and I kept my promise.

My grandfather was a very special man. He had served his country proudly in the Second World War. As a veteran he was always very generous to others and he had nicknames for everyone including his cars. This one he called Annabelle.

I remember it wasn't easy for Granddad to admit his driving days were over. When he knew the time had come, he used one of his favorite sayings to announce he was going to stop driving. He said, "The world is going to hell in a hand basket! It's not safe for an old man like me on the road anymore with all those crazy drivers. So, I've decided to give Annabelle to you, Pippy." Pippy was his nickname for me.

I didn’t need two cars for college and I have to admit it felt bittersweet driving around in my new vehicle and leaving Annabelle stored away in the garage.

It was my dad’s suggestion to take Annabelle and make a car donation in grandfather’s name to the National Veterans Services Fund (NVSF). The NVSF is a non-profit society that offers support to veterans and their families.

As hard as it would be to let Annabelle go, I knew my grandfather wouldn't want her to be sitting in the garage when she could make a difference in someone's life, especially a veteran’s life.

So I went online and found the Easy Donate a Car website and called the toll-free number.

Easy Donate A Car acts as a car donation processing agent on behalf of the National Veteran’s Services Fund. They were really helpful and took care of all the details. All they needed was the certificate of title and the registration. They even arranged to have Ananbelle picked up and sold at auction.

Now I tell everyone I know who is thinking of buying a new car that they should take their old one and make a veteran car donation. It’s a great way to give something back and most car donations qualify as a tax write-off, which can also be quite helpful.

Making a car donation is really easy and I am grateful to the representatives over at Easy Donate A Car.

As my dad had suggested, I made the veteran car donation in my grandfather's name.

My Grandad is gone now, but thanks to my dad, I've been able to honor the special relationship between Annabelle, Pippy and Granddad.

Jimmy T