Subaru of Jacksonville shatters previous record donation with $194,875 gift to Wolfson Children’s Hospital

Subaru of Jacksonville presented its largest single gift yet to Wolfson Children’s Hospital Wednesday with a $194,875 check from the 16th annual Share the Love campaign.

To date, Subaru of Jacksonville has committed nearly $1.8 million to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, with funds supporting care and advanced technology to treat critically ill and injured children at the Wolfson Children’s Porter Family Children’s Trauma Center, in addition to child passenger safety education, family support services, and the hospital’s annual fundraiser, the Wolfson Children's Challenge.

Patients like 5-year-old Major Cooper benefit from Subaru of Jacksonville’s support of Wolfson Children’s Hospital every day. Major was injured in a car accident this past January, suffering a traumatic spinal injury. While Major was in a booster seat, unbeknownst to his great-grandmother, he had slipped the seatbelt under his arm before the crash. His severe injuries required emergency transport to the Porter Family Children’s Trauma Center at Wolfson Children’s. After spending several days in the Pediatric ICU for stabilization, he underwent neurological surgery by Dr. Alexandra Beier and is currently wearing a brace through May. Thanks to the expert care he received at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, his caregivers expect Major to make a full recovery.

During this year’s campaign, Subaru of America donated $250 for every new vehicle purchased or leased between November 16, 2023, and January 2, 2024. Customers could choose from a short list of national charities for the $250 donation, or Subaru of Jacksonville’s hometown charity, Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Regardless of the charity chosen, this year Subaru of Jacksonville gave an additional $450 to Wolfson Children’s Hospital for every new vehicle purchased or leased. This is 8th year in a row that Wolfson Children’s has been Subaru of Jacksonville’s hometown charity.

Subaru of Jacksonville was the first major funder to support trauma services at Wolfson Children’s, establishing the “Subaru of Jacksonville Porter Family Trauma Services Endowment” in 2016, creating a legacy of support for generations to come. To recognize their generosity, Wolfson Children’s named the region’s only state-designated, American College of Surgeons (ACS)-verified Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in the Porter Family’s honor.

“Our continued decision to support Wolfson Children’s Hospital is driven by the profound impact it has on the lives of countless families,” said Phil Porter, owner of Subaru of Jacksonville. “We believe there is no better cause to champion than caring for society’s youngest and most precious members.”

In addition to generously supporting trauma services and child passenger safety programs, Subaru of Jacksonville is also the presenting sponsor of Wolfson Children’s annual summer toy drive, Christmas in July, as well as the Wolfson Children’s Challenge, the hospital’s annual race that raises critical funds for technology and equipment.

Subaru of Jacksonville, in collaboration with Wolfson Children’s Hospital and THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health, also continues to host free Child Passenger Car Seat Safety Checks on the first Friday of each month to ensure children are safe on the roads.

“Our community’s continued support allows us to treat patients like Major when they have life-threatening and urgent medical needs,” said Allegra C. Jaros, MBA, president of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “Thanks to people like Phil and Roxanne Porter and their family, along with businesses like Subaru of Jacksonville, we have been able to grow our Trauma Center into the ACS-verified Level 1 center that it is today, treating over 1,700 trauma patients, like Major, in 2023. Their donations allow us to continue our mission of providing children and families with access to the best specialized care while supporting programs to prevent injury outside the hospital.”

Wolfson Children’s Hospital prides itself on being a place for all children to be admitted and treated without regard to creed, religion, race or financial position. This mission has stood since the hospital opened in 1955, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

“As a nonprofit organization, Wolfson Children’s Hospital relies on long-term philanthropic support, like that of Subaru of Jacksonville,” said Matthew A. Zuino, MSIS, FACHE, EVP and COO of Baptist Health. “Their generous support of our children’s hospital demonstrates a steadfast commitment to the future well-being of our Jacksonville community.”

Subaru of Jacksonville is a family-owned and run business that was opened in August 2000 by current owner, R. Phil Porter, in order to serve the people of Jacksonville and its surrounding communities. The Subaru of Jacksonville team lives in the community, works in the community and supports the community through donations, sponsorships, volunteerism and community events. Subaru of Jacksonville has been awarded DealerRater’s Florida Subaru Dealer of the Year for the 10th consecutive year, the only Subaru retailer to achieve this award for so many sequential years, and DealerRater’s National Subaru Dealer of the Year in 2020, 2023, and 2024. Subaru of Jacksonville was awarded the 2017 Subaru Love Promise Award, a national Subaru award given to only one of over 600 dealerships, for their commitment to the community and multiple monthly awards for community service. Phil believes that with great reward comes great responsibility and that means treating others the best way and meeting needs whenever possible, from a personal level, dealership level, and community level.