During the competition, each dealership determines where donations go, generally choosing a local food bank in the area. The winning dealership, which in this case is Zeigler CDJRFAM of Grandville, will be donating its 14,061 items to the West Michigan Veterans Assistance Program and celebrating its big win by wearing ugly sweaters during a victory party.
"Our Annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Food Drive is one of my favorite events of the year because it brings out our team's competitive spirit for a great cause. Guided by our core values of P.R.I.D.E.-Passion, Reputation, Integrity, Drive, and Execution-we are honored to give back to the communities that have, and continue, to support us. I'd also like to take a moment to congratulate our Zeigler CDJR Fiat Alfa Maserati store in Grandville for winning this year competition. With so many of our stores taking the time to show up during this busy holiday season, the competition was tough."Â
Aaron J. Zeigler, Zeigler Auto Group president and CEO.
(Zeigler CDJRFAM of Grandville - 2024 Zeigler's 6th Annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Food Drive Winner)
"The best thing about this competition is the charities that receive the items donated are truly the winners. It's great to be the winning store and have bragging rights for the next year, but it's really about helping those in need. Everyone wins, and the natural competition from store to store is fun. In our case, the West Michigan Veterans Assistance Program has been our choice since the first year. We've increased our donations every year, and they're thrilled to be our choice. They feed over 105 families every week, at no cost to those families, so our donations certainly help. They enjoy knowing we're competing also, they've challenged us to DOUBLE our donations next Year! Challenge accepted!"
Caroljean "CJ" Lindquist, Senior Sales Advisor & 2024 Food Drive Lead for Zeigler CDJRFAM of Grandville
(Zeigler CDJRFAM of Grandville - 2024 Zeigler's 6th Annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Food Drive Winner)
Coming in second was the competition's previous champion, Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates with 10,488 items donated to Schaumburg Township Pantry. Hoffman Estates held the title for four consecutive years before being dethroned by Zeigler CDJRFAM of Grandville.
Zeigler Honda of Racine came in third place, bringing in a total of 4,000 items for Mt. Zion Church Food Pantry Racine County.
Â
Zeigler Ford of Lowell came in fourth place with 2,487 items going to their chosen local charity.
Zeigler Subaru of Kenosha was this year's fifth place winner with 2,092 items to benefit the Kenosha County Sharing Center.
In sixth place with 1,178 items for their chosen charity was Zeigler BMW of Orland Park.Â
Zeigler Buick GMC of Lincolnwood brought in 862 for ICNA Relief Center and Food Pantry landing them in seventh place.Â
Our eighth place went to Zeigler Subaru of Merrillville with 732 in benefit of its local charity. Ninth place belongs to Zeigler INFINITI of Hoffman Estates with 645 for their chosen charity.Â
Rounding out the top 10 is Zeigler Holland with 632 items for Community Action House, Harbor Humane Society.
The following are listed in order of ranking starting with eleventh place:Â Zeigler INFINITI of Orland Park, bringing in 587 items. Jaguar Land Rover of Schaumburg with 462 items; Zeigler Hyundai of Racine with 417 items; and Zeigler Toyota of Racine with 340 items. Zeigler CDJR of Plainwell came in fifteenth with 337 items; Zeigler Nissan of Orland Park with 310 items; and Zeigler ByRider with 273 items.
Zeigler Subaru of Lafayette brought in 233 for local charity: Food Finder Food Bank. Zeigler Ford of Plainwell had 230 items donated; and Zeigler Ford Lincoln of Elkhart came in 20th with 214 items. Zeigler Subaru of Fort Wayne brought in 153 items; and Zeigler Honda CDJR Lincoln BMW of Kalamazoo had 85 items donated for their charity.
 (Zeigler Subaru of Schererville)
The competition has become a favorite among Zeigler dealerships growing at a fast pace over the last six years. The first year it was held in 2019, the group donated a total of 5,000 cans to local food shelters in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. For 2024 the group donated 40,818 items to local charities across four states: Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
We would like to thank all participating dealerships that took part in the 6th Annual Ugly Sweater Holiday Food Drive. Your efforts will go a long way in helping those who need it most this 2024 Holiday Season!
Zeigler Auto Group
Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all of the domestic and the majority of the imported manufacturers.
Besides its extensive automotive portfolio, the organization owns and operates Zeigler Motorsports, an 85,000-square-foot motorsports dealership and action park, offering 19 different powersports brands, plus its own onsite restaurant: Trak Houz Bar & Grill. Additionally, Zeigler Motorsports houses the Elevate Leadership & Team Building Academy, an executive training company.
The Kalamazoo-based dealer group also owns and operates Zeigler Pre-Owned of Chicago, three Byrider franchises, three finance companies, several insurance firms, and a leasing firm.
Founded in 1975, the organization employs over 2,500 people, ranking among the top 1% of automotive dealers in the nation with estimated annual sales of $2.2 billion for 2022.
The family-owned and operated company is well known for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction. Zeigler is regularly recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation, also earning similar accolades in Wisconsin, Chicago, and Michigan. Besides these prestigious accolades, Zeigler is also one of Glassdoor's 100 Best Places to Work in the U.S. for 2023, and among Glassdoor's top 10 U.S. companies for work-life balance.
RETURN TO NEWSROOM