Phil Long Dealerships to hold ‘Thanks, Jay’ donation event in honor of local philanthropist

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Phil Long Dealerships will host their second annual community giveback campaign this spring.

The event is in honor of Jay Cimino, a local philanthropist and former President/CEO, who passed away last year.

Dubbed the "Thanks, Jay" event, dealerships will donate to one of five causes for each vehicle sold in April. Customers will be able to select the cause of their choosing.

According to Phil Long Dealerships, Jay Cimino has a long list of achievements. A list provided by the company is below:

• Founder of three nonprofits – Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, Mt. Carmel Wellness & Community Center, and Sister Blandina Wellness Gardens
• Established the Phil Long Community Fund, which collaborated with Denver Broncos Charities to erect 12 fantasy playgrounds, two skate parks and one football field across the state and allocated millions to organizations championing youth excellence
• Was influential in the campaign to renovate and build a new addition to Catholic Charities of Central
  Colorado’s Marian House, which helped to transition it from a soup kitchen to a self-sufficiency center
• Helped facilitate the transition of Fishers Peak from private land to becoming Colorado’s 42nd and 2nd largest state park
• Provided crews fighting the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires emergency vehicles and service
• Supported the Fort Carson Resiliency Campus and received the Good Neighbor Award for his commitment to our nation’s military members
• Recipient of the El Pomar Foundation’s Gov. John A. Love Award
• 2012 Colorado Auto Dealer of the Year
• Awarded the American Red Cross’ Humanitarian of the Year in 2013
• Inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame and the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association’s Automotive Hall of Fame in 2020
• Named the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC’s Citizen of the Year in 2021
• Posthumously given the Lance Sijan Service Award in 2024 for his lasting impact in the military and veteran community