Byrne Donates Car to Keep Kids in School

Fort Worth Business Press

Car giveaway promotes perfect school attendance
01/31/2005
ALESHIA CLAUNCH

Fort Worth, TX - Trimble Tech sophomore Byron Johnson's arms flailed in the air as he ran to the driver's door of the 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser and swung it open. Leaning into the vehicle, he stopped dead in his tracks as he lifted a small red string from the driver's seat and tossed it out the door.

"Ya'll better be keeping my car clean," the 16-year-old jokingly called out to a sea of Fort Worth school district officials and Trimble Tech administrators. "When I get it in May, I want it to be clean."

Johnson was one of four Green B. Trimble Technical High School students who got a sneak peek at the PT Cruiser, which is up for grabs in the school's Attendance Incentive Program. The program, started last year by Principle E. Omar Ramos, is to promote perfect attendance at Trimble Tech by offering a chance for top students to win the car on May 15. Johnson is one of the leading contenders for the vehicle.

Thos. S. Byrne General Contractors, which has helped Trimble Tech through the Adopt-A-School program for the last four years, and Roger Williams Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep donated the charcoal gray PT Cruiser to Trimble Tech.

Tracey Hart, executive assistant for Byrne's president, said the company was honored to be a part of the program.

"We love to see the kids when they see the car," Hart said. "It's such a great thing … We hope that other Fort Worth corporations will see how we're helping a school and they will get involved and help a school, too. There are a lot of kids who need help and a lot of big corporations in Fort Worth."

Thanks to the program's success, Ramos said, Trimble Tech is currently leading the district in attendance percentage with an estimated 95.6 percent.

"If you want kids to have high attendance ratings, you have to give them a good reason to work toward it," Ramos said. "It doesn't matter how good your curriculum or your teachers are if the kids aren't in class or if they're walking into class 10 and 15 minutes late. With this program, thanks to our sponsors, the kids are responding. It's working."

Students qualify for the car giveaway by earning "Bulldog Bucks" - one Buck is awarded for each week a student attends every class on time. At the end of the six-week period, students can earn one extra Bulldog Buck for being on the A-B Honor Roll and two by qualifying for the A Honor Roll. Ramos said it takes four Bulldog Bucks for students to enter their name in the final drawing.

Ten finalists will be drawn from the collection of names during the first week of May. Those students will travel to the Roger Williams dealership in Weatherford and choose one of 10 keys. Whichever student's key starts the car will be the new owner of the PT Cruiser.

Western Hills was the first school in Fort Worth to have an attendance incentive program that offered students the chance to win a car. Trimble Tech, O.D. Wyatt and North Side High Schools followed suit as part of the Fort Worth Independent School District's Every Child in School Everyday program. The district also has two cars available for students to win.

This is Trimble Tech's second year to participate in the program. Last year's winner, Melissa Trevino, won a 2000 Ford Mustang.

This is the first year that Roger Williams Dealership has been involved in the program. Roger Williams Marketing Director Connie Wright said that when Byrne contacted them and explained the program, dealership employees and Roger Williams thought it sounded like fun.

"The Williamses are always looking for something to benefit youth and this is something that hits the core of youth," Wright said. "We were honored to have a part in it."

According to rules set forth by the district program, the parents of the student who wins the car are responsible for paying a gift tax on the vehicle as well as claiming the value of the car as income.

"It's just something that we have to do to be able to give the car away," Ramos said. "The kids that make the semi-finals have to take a paper home to their parents to sign that explains about the taxes. If the parent doesn't want to sign it, that student can't participate in the final drawing."

Paperwork outlining who is responsible for the tax, title and license of the car as well as the amount of the gift tax is still in the negotiation phase in the school district's legal department.

"The tax and title are being worked out dealer by dealer," FWISD Community Relations Coordinator Janie Christi said. "There are no surprises in this. In order to make sure the giveaways are the same across the board, the district is drawing up paperwork that will outline the parents' responsibilities."

Ramos took the PT Cruiser to Trimble Tech so that students could get a glimpse of what they're working for. After the Trimble visit, the car was to be transferred to Byrne's headquarters in Fort Worth until May 15.

"There are a lot of students competing for it right now and we don't have any idea who will win, but we do have several students in the lead," Trimble Tech Assistant Principal Christy Odman said. "Kids come into the office every day, though, wondering about the car and wanting to see what it looks like."

Johnson, however, said he is sure he will be the lucky student driving the PT Cruiser next year.

"That thing is so nice, it just has to be mine," Johnson said excitedly. "I'll even go to school early if I have to."

Contact Claunch at aclaunch@bizpress.net.