Congratulations to Dawson Grimsley and Ari Jones, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2009 national Man & Woman of the Year.

In just 10 short weeks, Dawson Grimsley, of Wichita, KS, and Ari Jones, of Fairfax, VA, raised more than $326,000 to benefit the mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) - a stellar accomplishment that landed them in first place in the national Man & Woman of the Year campaign.   

Mr. Grimsley (right, with Girl of the Year Reese Naylor and the Kansas Chapter's Boy of the Year Braeden Gilbert, all of the Kansas Chapter) is president of the Davis-Moore Auto Group in Wichita, KS. 

Dawson Grimsley was still in high school when he got his start in the car business, washing and "shagging" cars for Grant Davis.  After he graduated, Grant gave him the opportunity to try his hand at selling cars.  Not only was he a good salesman, his honesty and personal integrity helped him build lasting relationships with his customers - many of whom still call him today when they're ready to buy a vehicle. In 1990, Dawson was promoted to general manager of the Davis-Moore dealerships.  And following Grant's death in 2001, he purchased the dealerships from Grant's estate and became president and majority owner of Davis-Moore Auto Group, with Stuart Ray and stepsons Sean and Chris Tarbell as his minority partners.

The car business is definitely in Dawson's blood.  However Dawson is not your typical car dealer. When you see him on television, you're more apt to hear him talking about driving courteously or wearing your seat belt than pitching cars.  If you ask him about the many local, state and national awards he's received for his contributions to community safety, he's more likely to tell you about some of the letters and phone calls he's received from people (including teenagers) who survived serious traffic crashes because they were wearing their seatbelts, and who wanted him to know his safety messages made a difference.

Dawson and his wife, Patty, have been married forever, and have four grown children and 6 grandchildren.  Not only is Dawson a family man, he's one of the few car dealers in the area whose dealerships are always closed on Sundays and holidays so his employees can spend time with their families.

Known as much for his charitable giving as for his safety messages, Dawson enjoys outselling his competitors every chance he gets.  Because as he once told long-time employee Michele Hill, "The more money we make, the more we can give away."

With the help of a great committee, and many generous contributors, Mr. Grimsley  broke the past Kansas record for Man of the Year!

Ari Jones (left, with Alessandro Valeri, Boy of the Year from the National Capital Area Chapter).  As a stay-home mom and cancer survivor herself, the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is very close to Ari's heart.  Ari helped organize an incredible team, called Moms For A Cure. Moms For A Cure was made up entirely of moms from the area striving to raise $100,000 for cancer research. The team was determined to make a difference and to show their own children how far a little perseverance and hard work can go!

As Ari says best, " We were suburban moms looking for a way to impact the community. By joining forces, we were able to raise  more than $139,000 to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families through yard sales, letter writing, selling candy bars and networking to moms around the country. In 10 short weeks we were able to raise enough money to touch thousands of lives forever. What an extraordinary experience!" 

"We congratulate Dawson, Ari and all of the candidates who participated in this year's Man & Woman of the Year campaign," said Blair Fogle, national manager of MWOY. "They are truly exceptional people with superb community outreach and fundraising skills. Their efforts help LLS advance its mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families."

Candidates are judged solely on the basis of their success in generating funds and compete in honor of the Boy & Girl of the Year, children who are survivors of blood cancers and provide a strong source of inspiration.  The 2009 Boy & Girl of the Year were Alessandro Valeri, of the National Capital Area Chapter, and Reese Naylor, of the Kansas Chapter. 

People across the country participate in the Man & Woman of the Year campaign through their local LLS chapters. After 10 weeks of fundraising, participants gather at a Grand Finale celebration, where the final funds are tallied and the man and woman who have raised the most money become the Man & Woman of the Year winners in their community. After this round, the men and women vie for the national title, which recognizes the largest fundraisers overall. Winners appear in local media outlets, as well as in a national advertisement in USA Today.  

For more information, please contact Blair Fogle at (914) 216-9760.