Heavy Medals: Columbia Gorge Motors Philanthropic Biz of the Year; Core values lift Gorge

Arron and Rachel Carter along with their Dogurky Lady made it to the finish line on another successful Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving 2024, bringing friends, family and community together. This was the fourth annual Trot for Columbia Gorge Motors. And not uncoincidentally, their dealership just took the best philanthropic business award in the gorge for the fourth year in a row.

By Tom Peterson

In addition to best philanthropic business, the dealership medaled in Best Auto Loan Provider, Best Auto Repairs, Best Oil Change and Best Used Car Dealership.

The Dalles, Ore., Dec. 17, 2024 — It’s been five years since Aaron and Rachel Carter met with David Griffith about buying the local Toyota and Honda dealerships.

The couple said they looked at several different franchises elsewhere, but everything came into focus when they understood the legacy Griffith had created in The Dalles.

Easter egg hunts and community giving were at Griffith’s core.

“David did a ton of stuff for the community,” said Aaron from his office at Columbia Gorge Toyota & Honda on West Sixth Street in The Dalles on Dec. 4. “We liked that and wanted to continue that tradition. Not just be a check but be promoters of the community and be involved.”

The recipe was correct, and it is what convinced Griffith to sell the dealership to the Carters— well, that and money, of course.

Five years later, the business just landed the coveted “Most Philanthropic Business” in the Best of the Gorge contest held in the mid-Columbia.

…for the fourth year in a row.

Actions speak louder than words.

Uh… Yeahhhhh!

But maybe, just maybe that is a symptom of the core values Aaron and Rachel brought to The Dalles several years ago after working at Teton Toyota in Idaho Falls.

The couple who met in 8th grade and attended Elmira High School west of Eugene said they understood they would have no problem selling Toyotas and Hondas.

“People line up to buy these products,” Aaron said.

So, the question was also how to turn that energy into the biggest impact to improve The Dalles.

It was not in hiring marketers from Portland to make television commercials for their dealerships.

Nope.

It was in finding local causes and getting involved - putting business money toward a scoreboard or a local event.

“The Dalles is a great community,” Rachel said. “We love living here.”

Col

Aaron pointed out that it is the locals that make it special. When he and Rachel were first in town they were trying to find the Last Stop Saloon to get dinner.

He said a guy on the sidewalk flagged them down and said they looked lost. He quickly pointed the restaurant out to them.

“It’s a nice small town,” Aaron said.

Before making the plunge into TD, the two sat at their kitchen table in Idaho Falls and discussed what they wanted to be if they made the move with their two children.

And it became clear. It was not to be sellers of cars but to go all in with their time and money on local philanthropy.

Last Spring 2023- The Dalles High School Music Teacher Mic Kelly was all thumbs up as students sold tickets at Cherry Fest in TD to win this 2023 Toyota Corolla. The students were a bit camera shy, but Mic pulled it off with a solid thumb move. Thanks Mic! Columbia Gorge Toyota provided the new vehicle for the raffle that raised tens of thousands of dollars for high school activities in The Dalles and Hood River.

Their last five years are a trail of giving that is hard to match.

Easter Egg Hunts, Community Clean-up days, donations of vehicles to support local athletics, donations for mammograms at Mid-Columbia Medical Center, free oil changes for Veterans on Veteran’s Day, Columbia Gorge mechanics volunteering for the D21 Bike Night at Chenowith Elementary, Serving food at the warming shelter, a recent $20,000 donation for a new scoreboard at the 16th Street Ballpark, organizing and running the Thanksgiving “Turkey Trot” for the past four years and Festival of Trees.

Turkey Trot brings in $8762 in 2022 for the TD Backpack program where local volunteers pack food for local students who experience food scarcity on weekends.

And like Aaron said, they don’t just sign a check. Rather, Rachel is the master organizer, bringing her ground floor game with loads of volunteers to staff events that might not otherwise happen.

Groups joining the Columbia Gorge Motors and Beutification Committee’s clean-up on Oct. 14, 2023 were the Riverfront Trail Board, North Wasco County Parks and Recreation Board, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and The Dalles Lions. Columbia Gorge Motors has been spearheading this campaign for four years.

That includes the 5 a.m. wakeup on Thanksgiving day to get the Turkey Trot underway at 8 a.m.

And that’s just their day job.

In her free time, Rachel has also served on the humane society board and is now a board member of Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation. The couple worked on the exploratory committee for The Dalles High School bond. She was also part of the Northwest Mural Fest Committee bringing the Walldogs to The Dalles to paint 15 historical murals in a single weekend.

Rachel Carter’s “whole crew” came out to support the food box give away in 2022. Pictured Left to right: Heidi Jasper, Jo Jasper, Kris Harmon, Rachel Carter, Danielle Jasper, Autumn Jasper, and Molly Carter.

Aaron even stepped into Dancing with the Gorge Stars in 2022 - he was notably the rare male contestant who said yes immediately to the challenge, said Patti Blagg with Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association.

Aaron Carter and Kylie Burns put it all on the line at the 2022 Dancing with the Gorge Stars

Carter’s comfort level in the dance-off: 4 out of 5 - Oh, that’s comfortably fun! Carter, then 37 was not afraid of a little theater.  He had been making commercials for the local car dealership. “I was delirious from COVID fatigue,” he said. “This was a great chance to get out and do something. When Patti called, I said, ‘I’m in.”’  

Carter also had a little experience. He played Kenickie in Grease in high school in 1996. So watch out for that Greased Lightning on their shoes, as Burns and Carter put the ballroom into overdrive. They we’re dancing for pink slips.

The fundraiser was for the Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association. Annette Byers won the contest - a point that still sticks Aaron. lol.

Aaron lost the competition to Annette Byers, and he still feels a bit of a sting when they run into each other, he said with a laugh.

“It comes down to leaving things a little better than when you found them,” Aaron said reiterating the motto of his mentor Mario Hernandez at Teton Toyota.

Matthew Ryan Thompson preps for the Turkey Trot with what else, Turkey Gravy, a substance that should likely be a schedule 3 drug for runners.

Trot for a Cause: Dress-Up Dash in 2023 - The Turkey Trot isn't your average footrace. The event is for everyone, whether you are a walker or a runner and welcomes families, strollers, kids, and furry friends to join in the fun. It’s also a costume contest. Human and dog participants alike are invited to dress up, with prizes being awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

In 2023 - 100% of proceeds benefited The Next Door and Columbia Gorge Toyota and Honda matched every dollar raised by the event beyond the $5,000 mark.