A Customer Appreciation and 15 year Celebration was held at Art’s Service & Repair in Thorsby, AB, Saturday, May 2, 2015.
Each year we put on a Beef on a Bun with all the trimmings, to show our appreciation to our customers because if it were not for their support we could not stay in business.
Art Burnett, a Red Seal Heavy Duty Technician himself, opened the doors to his very own shop on May 15, 2000. Today in conjunction, with 3 H.D. Apprentices, we also have 2 Red Seal Automotive Technicians, hence our motto, “We Work on Almost Anything.” Recently we purchased a state of the art Wheel Alignment System and June of 2014, we entered the realm of School Bussing.
Lunch started around noon with music, “Dwayne Harrish and Friends” playing.
Presentations began with, Mayor Barry Rasch for the Village of Thorsby, a beautiful Framed Certificate, in recognition for our 15 year achievement, Mr. Ricky Leach of Kirkman Bus Sales, Calgary AB a framed photograph of our 2016 Bluebird bus and Thorsby Lions Club, a generous cheque for our fund raiser.
Guest speakers were, Mr. Len Farnya, Art’s first salesman to come in, (now with Fleet Brake, Edmonton), Mrs. Dara Dallyn, first bookkeeper, and Mr. Al Higgins Sr. who owned the building when Art first started.
Art also recognized Mr. Mel Ruff of Mel Ruff Enterprises as his first Semi in the shop and presented him with a framed photograph of that truck.
The past few years, we have supported a local woman with her bicycle ride for M.S. in conjunction with our celebration but due to a conflict of schedule, Tara was unable to be with us this year. After checking at the Village Office to see what else we could do, Pattie Adams from F.C.S.S. came over and told us of a young woman in the community who has severe M.S. and needed a Scooter to get around, so she could go for “walks” with her young son. Instead of Door Prizes, The plan to do a live Auction as a fund raiser was born. Art and wife Marilynne went ahead and purchased the scooter with the hope that we would make enough to recover some of the cost of the purchase.
With a total outpouring from our Vendors, Customers, Staff, Friends, Family and Community including Mr. Alvin Miller of Miller’s Auction Services, Scooter costs were fully recovered and there is a surplus that will be donated to local charities. A full disclosure of funds will be made available.
We would also like to take this opportunity to say a Special Thank You to our Staff for all the extra efforts you put in to make our day so very special.