Community Coat Drive

Posted on November 23, 2016 by admin

When the leaves begin to fall, it’s time to open up the coat closets. It is important to Gamblin Motors that everyone in our community has a nice warm coat to combat the chilly weather. Each fall we host a community coat drive and invite our employees, customers, and community members to go through their closets and donate their gently used coats, clothing, shoes, and socks. This is our fourth year of giving, and we are proud to have collected almost 100 coats for donation to the Enumclaw Clothing Bank.

The Enumclaw Clothing Bank is a non-profit organization that offers donated clothing items free of charge to community members in need. This wonderful organization provides necessities for many Enumclaw families who need a little extra help. A clean set of clothing provides both safety from the winter cold and confidence to face the day in comfort. We thank all those who donated. We thank Works-Sports and Outdoors for hosting one of our donation trucks. If you were unable to donate during the clothing drive, the Enumclaw Clothing Bank is located at JJ Smith School and is open for drop off and pick up on Tuesdays.

Veterans of World War II

Posted on November 11, 2016 by admin

Today we honor those who have served to defend our nation. The founder of Gamblin Motors, Art Gamblin, was a veteran of WWII. Art was eager to defend his country, so eager that he lied about his age to enter the war at age 17. He joined the United States Navy in 1945. He was assigned to serve on the USS Maryland. When Art reached the USS Maryland, she had just returned from a hard fought battle in Okinawa and was being repaired in Bremerton, Washington at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. The crew worked to repair the ship and was completing training runs to return to battle when Japan surrendered. Art had the honor of participating in Operation Magic Carpet, a mission to bring servicemen home from the war. The USS Maryland made runs between Pearl Harbor and the west coast in the latter part of 1945. After the war, Art continued his active duty by being assigned to vessels in New Orleans. Here, Art gave the public tours of the ships, and in true Art fashion, his tours always managed to inspire a tip which was shared with his fellow servicemen that night on the town. Art was proud of his time in the Navy, and we are proud to honor him and those who fought for freedom both at home and abroad.

Thomasson Punky-Du

Posted on October 19, 2016 by admin

Dust off your bike and running shoes because Thomasson Family Farm is holding its inaugural Punky-Du on Saturday, November 5th. The Punky-Du is fun for the whole family and will headline an adult duathlon and child mile run. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to Camp Eyabsut, a camp for burn victims located in Northbend. As a Punky-Du sponsor, Gamblin Motors is proud to support a communal day of fun for a good cause.

Thomasson Family Farm is an Enumclaw based operational dairy farm that has opened their doors to the public in an effort to share farm life with the community. The Punky-Du event will draw even more visitors to Enumclaw for a hands-on farm experience. The event features an adult duathlon (run-bike-run) and child mile run. The duathlon bike track requires a mountain bike frame for bikers to safely pedal through different types of farm terrain including the corn maze and pumpkin patch. For those interested in cheering on the Punky-Du participants, there are plenty of farm activities for the whole family along with delicious treats and music.

While the Punky-Du promises a day fun for everyone, it will also support a cause close to the Thomasson family. A young family member was involved in an accident resulting in burns on over 60% of his body. Camp Eyabsut is camp for burn survivors and will receive a portion of the proceeds from the Punky-Du event. The camp aims to “support, enhance and positively impact the quality of life for young burn survivors through teambuilding, challenging activities and friendships.” Sponsoring the Punky-Du affords Gamblin Motors the opportunity to support this deserving cause while providing an exciting day on the farm for all participants. To add your support, register for the mile run or duathlon at http://www.thomassonfarm.com/punky–du/.

Enumclaw Youth and Family Services Celebrity Golf Tournament

Posted on October 7, 2016 by admin

Gamblin Motors is proud to be a sponsor of the Enumclaw Youth and Family Services Celebrity Golf Tournament being held on Monday, October 10th at the Enumclaw Golf Course. The proceeds from this event go directly to helping youth and young adults in our community. This tournament helps to provide important services to the most vulnerable populations in the Plateau area. At Gamblin Motors we believe in caring for and investing in the future of our youth and hometown.

The Enumclaw Youth and Family Services (EYFS) and Auburn Youth Resources (AYR) work together to provide much-needed support to families and young adults in need. Necessary services like early childhood education, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, homeless services and transitional housing are all programs provided by these two charitable and hard working groups. The golf tournament proceeds will specifically be used to provide mental health counseling to the disadvantaged youth and families of Enumclaw. In addition, funds raised will benefit an EYFS partnership with the Foothills Wellness Foundation to provide free dental care, food, hygiene kits, and case management programs for those in crisis on the Plateau.

Gamblin Motors is not the only group invested in supporting the great work done by EYFS. We thank all of the celebrities who are backing this charitable cause. Former NFL players such as Jason Chorak, Robin Earl, Alonzo Mitz, Nesby Glasgow, Jack Thompson, Mkristo Bruce and other celebrities will be in attendance to add their support to help raise funds for these critical community programs. To add your support to this wonderful cause, please join us on the course. To register for a round, please visit https://ayr4kids.ejoinme.org/eyfsgolf.

Louisiana Flood Relief

Posted on September 14, 2016 by admin

When Gamblin Motors employee Mark Maxey headed to New Orleans for a family vacation, he was not prepared for the devastation he would see on the way to their destination. As the plane began its descent into New Orleans, Mark was able to see firsthand the flood waters covering most of the greater Baton Rouge area. Despite being in the area five days after the waters had crested and started to recede, only outlines of streets were visible and homes were still fighting off water. Mark explained, “There was more water than land, and we were there after the worst of it.” Mark came home determined to share what he had seen and find a way to help. The National Auto Dealers Association was also determined to offer assistance to the flood victims through the NADA National Relief Fund. Gamblin Motors employees were able to raise $1,500 to donate to the fund and help fellow dealership families affected by the flooding.

The NADA National Relief Fund was established in 1992 and since its inception has donated almost $5 million to more than 8,700 dealership employees in need. The fund provides immediate assistance to dealership families hit hard by natural disasters. With the Louisiana flooding, an estimated 140,000 individuals were displaced due to the flooding, 1,500 of which were dealership families. The majority of the homes affected by the flooding were not located in floodplains and not insured for flood damage; flooding of this magnitude was unprecedented and unthinkable. These people are in desperate need and Gamblin Motors employees were looking to do their part in helping fellow automobile industry families with their recovery.

Gamblin Motors offered to match all employee donations to help the flooding victims. Employees raised $750 and Gamblin Motors matched these funds to bring the total donation to $1,500. NADA called on all dealerships across the country to donate $1,000 to reach their goal of $2 million in aid. Gamblin Motors was determined to do more with their contribution. We continue to think of all those affected by the Louisiana floods and encourage all to determine how they might help flood victims in need. To learn more about the NADA Emergency Relief Fund, go to www.nada.org/EmergencyRelief/.

It’s Rodeo Time

Posted on August 23, 2016 by admin

It’s not uncommon to be driving down the roads of Enumclaw only to be stopped by a herd of cows crossing the street. Livestock and farming are an integral part of our community. One way we continue this legacy and celebrate our heritage is through the local 4-H clubs and community events like the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo. At Gamblin Motors we are proud to support our community and 4-H clubs through sponsorship of the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo.

The rodeo has been an Enumclaw event since the 1950’s when it was formerly part of the Naches Trail Days celebration. At one point the rodeo was the largest in the state, but in more recent years, Enumclaw has not been a stop on the rodeo circuit. A group of local business leaders banded together to bring the rodeo back to Enumclaw and created the 15 member Board of Directors of the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo, Inc. This local non-profit group resurrected an important community event and continues to host and organize the newly returned rodeo. The rodeo proceeds help to support local 4-H clubs, and this year’s 2015 Enumclaw Pro Rodeo also donated proceeds to Support Beau and the Twist Firefighter Fund.

The rodeo’s support of local 4-H clubs and community members is yet another reason why Gamblin Motors continues to sponsor the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo. Gamblin Motors even has its own former bull and bronco riding cowboy, Rick Josie, tirelessly volunteering every year to make sure the rodeo is an Enumclaw tradition that continues for years to come. The rodeo represents the heritage of Enumclaw, and we at Gamblin Motors are proud of our community and our cowboys. If you weren’t able to attend the rodeo this year, be sure to follow Gamblin Motors on Facebook for upcoming information on next year’s rodeo.

Rick Josie the Cowboy

Posted on August 23, 2016 by admin

No one knows a truck better than a cowboy. Just ask Rick Josie, Gamblin Motors’ very own former bull and bronco riding cowboy. Rick has been with Gamblin Motors for twelve years, and when he’s not delivering the best trucks to customers on the Plateau, he’s working behind the scenes organizing the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo.

Rodeos have been a part of Rick’s life since he was young. Before the car business, Rick rode professionally on the rodeo circuit. He and his brother traveled the country riding bulls and broncos. While riding down in Florida, Rick was injured and forced into an early retirement. But not even a serious injury could keep him away from the rodeo. He returned to the Northwest and continued to participate in roping events. It’s this love of rodeos that led Rick to join forces with other Enumclaw residents to bring the rodeo back to town.

Thanks to this group of community members, the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo is once again a highlight of the summer. As a non-profit event, the rodeo relies on volunteers like Rick to work year round to bring this fun filled weekend to our community. The rodeo is able to donate its proceeds to help fund local 4-H clubs due to the tireless efforts of Rick and other volunteers. We are proud to have Rick on the Gamblin Motors team and proud to be a continued sponsor of the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo.

Art Gamblin Memorial Scholarship

Posted on July 12, 2016 by admin

This year marks the fourteenth year of the Art Gamblin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception, the fund has awarded scholarships to twenty-seven Enumclaw High School scholar athletes. These awards mark a combined total of $27,000 of scholarship funds designated to help students achieve their post-secondary school goals. We are proud to announce this year’s scholarship recipients and their future educational pursuits: Kylie Rademacher, Pacific Lutheran University, and Dylan Miller, Central Washington University.

The Art Gamblin Memorial Scholarship aims to recognize students who excel in academics, leadership and athletics. These qualities and skills were important to Art Gamblin starting at a young age. Academics played a strong role in the Gamblin family. Art learned first hand the importance of education by watching his single mother go to school and become a teacher during the Great Depression. He was literally surrounded by school at all times as the family later lived in the basement of the schoolhouse where his mother taught. His love for learning led him to become a teacher himself. While teaching and coaching high school in Sandpoint, Idaho, he found a new passion and career path during a summer sales job at the local Chevrolet dealership. Art’s friendly nature and leadership skills made him a successful car man, and this led to Art buying the local Chevrolet dealership in Enumclaw, Washington. The Gamblins quickly fell in love with Enumclaw and rooted their family in the community. For many years Art could be heard yelling from the stands as he cheered on his Enumclaw Hornet children and grandchildren. It is with this memory in mind that the friends and family of Art Gamblin continue to cheer and recognize the amazing scholar athletes from Enumclaw High School.

Every school year one senior boy and one senior girl are each awarded $500 a year for the course of two years. The money is earmarked for their continued educational aspirations. In the spring we welcome all graduating senior submissions for the Art Gamblin Memorial Scholarship. Teachers and administrators from Enumclaw High School comprise the selection committee and look for students with outstanding efforts in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. Gamblin Motors was Art Gamblin’s legacy, and we are proud to honor outstanding student achievement in his name.

2017 Corvette Grand Sport

Posted on June 30, 2016 by admin

The new 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport combines a lightweight architecture, a track-honed aerodynamics package, Michelin tires and a naturally aspirated engine to deliver exceptional performance. The Grand Sport Collector Edition features an exclusive Watkins Glen Gray Metallic exterior with Tension Blue hash-mark graphics, satin black full-length stripes and black wheels. the new Grand Sport combines a lightweight architecture, a track-honed aerodynamics package, Michelin tires and a naturally aspirated engine.

Chevrolet recently announced the track-bred 2017 Corvette Grand Sport will be priced at $66,445 for coupe models and $70,445 for convertibles, when they go on sale this summer. The prices include the destination charge, but not tax, title and other dealer fees.

With heritage-inspired design cues combined with track-focused chassis and suspension elements, the new Grand Sport builds on a legacy established in 1963, when five Grand Sport race cars were built under the direction of the Corvette’s first chief engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov.

Performance enthusiasts will appreciate that the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport carries on the spirit of the original race cars,” said Alan Gamblin. “This track-ready sports car is sure to be a hit in our showroom with its stunning design and powerful performance capabilities.”

The new Grand Sport also offers an estimated 0-60-mph performance of 3.6 seconds and quarter-mile capability of 11.8 seconds at 118 mph, with the available Z07 performance package and available paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission. A seven-speed manual with Active Rev Match is standard.

Grand Sport models are offered with the Stingray’s full exterior and interior color palette, including 10 exterior colors:

Admiral Blue Metallic (late 2016 addition)
Watkins Glen Gray Metallic (new for 2017)
Black Rose Metallic (new for 2017)
Sterling Blue Metallic (new for 2017)
Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat
Arctic White
Blade Silver Metallic
Black
Corvette Racing Yellow Tintcoat
Torch Red.

June’s Employee of the Month