Since 2004 when Jan Ryd and his wife Karen, owners of Lee Myles Colorado, opened their first auto repair center in Lakewood, CO, the couple has given back to the community in many ways. They have supported many youth sports teams, schools, church organizations, and countless others. The Ryd's have always had a heart to serve and give to those in need, especially in the Lakewood, Northglenn, and Boulder areas where they have their Lee Myles Auto Care centers.
In early September 2015, Jan received a call from Castland Productions inviting his crew to participate in a new competition for automotive technicians called Auto Bowl. Jan's shops were recommended to participate by Advance Auto Parts, the largest sponsor for the event. Auto Bowl rules required that technicians work as a team of 3 (with only 2 team members on a vehicle at the same time). While being scored by judges, they would have 3 hours to work on a vehicle to complete as many repairs as possible while also performing the highest quality of work. All the vehicles being worked on must be for charity as well as the work performed. And if that criteria wasn't enough pressure, Auto Bowl was also going to include TV cameras being on the scene and Go-Pros filming everything! Auto Bowl '15 was also going to be a TV show featuring the entire project! After some research and a meeting with their crews, Lee Myles Colorado, owners and staff, couldn't wait to jump in and enter three teams (one from each of their locations) into Auto Bowl '15!
Participating in Auto Bowl '15 also provided an opportunity for Lee Myles Colorado to partner with Step 13. This organization has been one that the Ryd's have been impressed with for years. Step 13 is a nationally-recognized men's residential recovery program in downtown Denver that offers its residents the opportunity to recover from the disease of addiction and become productive, contributing members of their communities through a program that focuses on sobriety, work, and personal accountability. Step 13 also operates with the philosophy that work works and they provide a hand up, not a hand out. Lee Myles Colorado was able to work with Step 13 to get some donated vehicles that needed repairs and turn them into road ready, safe, refurbished vehicles for recipients selected by the organization. More information on Step 13 can be found http://www.Step13.org
Lee Myles Auto Bowl Teams not only took on the invitation, the challenge of the competition, and hectic schedule to get things ready, they also had one of their locations host the live event. They also committed to repairing and giving back 5 vehicles, not just 3 cars for Step 13. "Above and Beyond" is the mind-set of this company and their entire crew with all that they do, at work and in serving and giving to the communities where they live and work! Watch the highlight video of their part in Auto Bowl '15.
Article by: R'Lynn Parker