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From left, Mike Reilly Jr, and Mike Reilly Sr., will host We Dare to Care’s Drive-Thru Toy Drive at their business Shamrock Autobody to help raise toys and gift cards for less fortunate children in Osceola County. PHOTO/KATHY PIERSON COMMUNICATIONS
Want to brighten Christmas this year for a less-fortunate child in Osceola County?
Then hop in your car Saturday and head to Shamrock Autobody, 1107 Eastern Ave., in St. Cloud, with an unwrapped gift or a gift card of $35 or more for the We Dare to Care’s Drive-Thru Toy Drive.
The drive is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“This has been a tough year for families in Osceola County, so we are counting on our residents to come through in helping us deliver Christmas to the children of Osceola County,” said Mike Reilly, Sr., owner of Shamrock Autobody.
We Dare to Care is a not-for-profit 501(3)(c) founded by St. Cloud Police Department and local business owners and residents. Efforts are focused on raising money for local charities and qualifying families in need by hosting local events for fundraising.
The charity group hosts a number of fundraisers each year, including the Jingle Bell Ball. But COVID-19 prevented that event this year. In 2019, We Dare to Care collected between 2,000 and 3,000 toys at the ball and raised more than $50,000 for children in Osceola.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we do as good as we did at the ball,” Reilly Sr. said, who is chairman of the Jingle Bell Ball and Drive-Thru Toy Drive committee.
Motorists who want to donate can drive up to Shamrock and a volunteer will take the toy of gift card. Then, drivers will have the opportunity, if they wish, to park and they and their families can enjoy photos with Santa (bring your own camera), face painting, food vendors and bounce houses.
The toys and gift cards will be distributed through local pastors who receive a list from local schools showing children with the greatest need.
“In all, it’s all to raise money for the We Dare to Care program to help the community out,” Reilly Sr. said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Mike Reilly and his son, Mike, Jr. (third generation) have worked together in the automotive and auto body business in St. Cloud since 2000. Mike, Sr. has been in the business since he was a teenager, since his father owned a auto shop in Dublin, Ireland, then moved to Miami in 1987 and opened a shop.
Several years later, Reilly Sr. left South Florida and went back to Ireland. Then with only $250 in his pocket, he moved to St. Cloud. He has been here since and calls the city home. His familyowned auto body and service shop is one of the largest and highest producing body shops and service centers by square footage in Central Florida. He services 200 to 300 hundred cars per month at Shamrock Autobody. He has just recently built a new corporate headquarters across the street from his auto body and service center, so he now owns four buildings with over 7,000 square feet of service area.
This year, Shamrock, is celebrating its 20th year in business.
Reilly Sr. said the company’s longevity is attributed to the people he surrounds himself with.
“Without the team I have, my business is northing,’ he said. “I have a tremendous team here.”
Reilly Sr. said he holds giving back to the community close to his heart.
“When I started this business, the community really helped me tremendously,” Reilly Sr. said. “I would not have what I have today without my community’s support. And that’s the truth. I’m very fortunate and I’m deeply committed to my community in regard to giving back.”
He has helped coordinate multiple fundraisers for local children and police officers who have fallen ill or need financial support, through food drives, car washes, to being the major sponsor of the Mudd Run to help raise money for the St. Cloud community for individuals and families who need help financially.
Mike Reilly Jr. said he hoped for a large turnout on Saturday.
“We want to see as many people out here as possible giving back to those who are in need,” he said.
After dealing with the pandemic and the recent election, Reilly Sr. believed the community could something a little more uplifting.
“I’m going to make Saturday a day to enjoy,” he said.
For more information, call Mike Reilly Jr. at 321- 200-7695 or Mike Reilly Sr. at 407-468-1840.
