WATCH: Nelson Mazda Expands Essential Car Care

In dealerships and in the classroom, Mazda is recognizing teachers and their monumental adjustments to keep children safe while still prioritizing their learning. Their ongoing efforts fueled the return of Mazda’s Essential Car Care — a limited-time offer of complimentary oil changes and car washes to all educators. However, one dealership with a deeply ingrained sense of community has taken this a step further.

The work of Nelson Mazda Tulsa and Nelson Mazda Norman is an example of a dealer execution and not the MNAO ECC nationwide program.

Above and Beyond

In support of the national Essential Car Care program, Nelson Mazda Tulsa and Nelson Mazda Norman have gone above and beyond to assist their local educators. To alleviate some of the financial stresses incurred when prepping their classrooms, Nelson Mazda Tulsa and Nelson Mazda helped put necessary supplies into local classrooms and found creative ways of expressing gratitude to educators.

“At Nelson, our mission is to serve others. We are honored to be able to help educators fill their rooms with much-needed supplies so that they can focus on their students. We were so excited when Mazda announced the complementary oil changes to educators. We knew at that moment we wanted to do even more. More for those individuals that dedicate their lives to helping others,” says Tom Penland, General Manager of Nelson Mazda Tulsa.

Supplying Classroom Essentials

“More” meant inviting over 900 local educators to an event where they received complimentary teacher essential boxes stuffed with notepads, highlighters, pens, liquid hand sanitizer and wipes, as well as rechargeable battery packs. This wasn’t a random selection of items — local teachers were surveyed and reported these as necessary items they would have to purchase for their classrooms.

Organized like a store, teachers were also able to select from a wide variety of other items to help stock their rooms and create welcoming learning environments.

“We are so excited to be able to host a shopping mall for teachers and at the same time, offer our heartfelt appreciation for their selflessness in caring for and educating children. What an honor to treat them to a day of appreciation. At Nelson, we are so grateful for educators and the entire education support staff and wanted to say thank you in a fun way. This event is more than just giving them supplies, its encouraging them for the upcoming year, its showing them honor, giving them support and hopefully so much more,” says Brandon Murphy, COO/Managing Partner Nelson Auto Group.

Designing Teacher Lounges

Beyond their shopping mall event, the team at Nelson Mazda Tulsa and Nelson Mazda Norman wanted a way to encourage teachers and support staff throughout the entire school year. So, they turned their attention to nine staff lounges in schools across the district. From new furnishings and fresh paint to decorations and personal touches, the lounges were redesigned to provide educators with a space of solace and rest.

To make these lounge transformations and the free supplies possible, Nelson partnered with CityServe Oklahoma. This organization works with national retailers and suppliers to distribute products and services to families in need. Through local businesses like Nelson Mazda Tulsa and Nelson Mazda Norman, as well as non-profits and churches, CityServe is then able to connect those products and services to the community. Their strategic partnerships with Pottery Barn, West Elm, Amazon and more made this event possible.

Driving Community Forward

The heart of Mazda’s Essential Car Care is to thank educators by removing the stress of vehicle maintenance, allowing them to focus on their classrooms, curriculum and students for a successful academic year. The team at Nelson Mazda Tulsa and Nelson Mazda Norman has extended this commitment through practical classroom essentials, and by transforming staff lounges, they have ensured that Mazda’s support is felt throughout the school year.

Learn more about Mazda’s Essential Car Care and find a participating dealer.