Donor Profile: Preston Automotive Group Provides Support for Clark Comprehensive Breast Center

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The Wilson Family, l to r: Marina Wilson, David Wilson Jr, Zach Holland, Brittany Wilson Holland, Kyle McCracken and Angie Wilson McCracken, Daria Wilson, Dave Wilson, Sr., and Peggy Wilson.

Locally owned family business, Preston Automotive Group, once again is giving back to the community as a Tournament Sponsor for UM Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Fifth Annual Sporting Clays Classic event, which supports UM Shore Regional Health’s Clark Comprehensive Breast Center in Easton.

The Wilson family’s Preston Automotive Group has been a Tournament Sponsor since the event’s inception in 2015, gifting $10,000 each year. Additionally, Preston Automotive Group will provide a pink pickup truck to be displayed at the event.

“Investing in our local community is a great way to give back to those who have helped support our business,” says Dave Wilson Sr., chairman of Preston Automotive Group and iFrog Digital Marketing.

“For us, the bottom line is how can we serve our community and give back because groups and nonprofit organizations do so much to help our communities, but they can’t do it alone.”

A Wilson family friend and associate, Diana Vincent, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Vincent, who passed away in 2017, had been the face of Preston Automotive Group, attending every community event. Dave’s wife, Peg, had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and fully recovered.

“Cancer has touched our family, so it’s very personal to us and important to do what we can to help those with cancer,” says Wilson. “It’s one of the reasons Preston Automotive Group made a campaign pledge of $100,000 for the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center’s expansion back in 2015. My family believes that it was an investment that will last into the future and will make a positive difference in the lives of many, which is why we continue to support the Center each year as a sponsor for the Sporting Clays Classic.”

Wilson has prioritized a culture of caring in his business philosophy, with “community” as one of this companies’ six core values (the others are integrity, urgency, teamwork, personal growth and attention to detail). Preston Automotive Group is active year-round in all types of charitable activities —from small fundraisers to large-scale sponsorships — and their employees from all locations participate.

Wilson and his wife, Peg, executive vice president at Preston Automotive Group, and their five children all embrace the concept of giving back to the community. Their three eldest play key roles in the family business: Angie Wilson McCracken is director of account operations at iFrog; David Jr. is chief operating officer at Preston Automotive Group; and Brittany Wilson Holland is consumer experience manager at Preston Automotive Group.

Wilson’s parents, Howard and Pansy Wilson, set the family standard for being active in Caroline County, helping others and giving back. Howard was a Scout Master and used his leadership skills to make a positive difference; Pansy became a public health nurse because she wanted to help as many people as possible.

David Jr., recalls, “My dad didn’t talk about giving back to the community, I just saw him do it because it’s the right thing to do. My grandmother was the same way as my dad — she instilled in all of us the importance of helping others.”

Recently, David Jr. responded to a local parent’s search on social media for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for her adult son with disabilities. He contacted another local business owner, Jack Mullins of Bi-Rite, and together they located a van and had it delivered within 72 hours. The businesses donated the van at no cost.

“The mother was so appreciative it brought her to tears,” says David Jr. “It moved me to tears, too, and I was happy to be able to help.”

F. Graham Lee, vice president for philanthropy, University of Maryland Memorial Hospital Foundation, has great appreciation and regard for the Wilsons. “We are incredibly fortunate to have generous donors like Dave Sr., Peg and David Jr.,” he says. “We cannot thank the Wilsons enough on behalf of the incalculable number of future patients who will benefit from their support for the most advanced breast health care in our area.”

UM Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Fifth Annual Sporting Clays Classic is scheduled for Saturday, June 8, at The Point at Pintail in Queenstown. Proceeds from the event will support the purchase of an MRI Breast Coil for UM Shore Regional Health’s Clark Comprehensive Breast Center. The MRI Breast Coil is used to fully image breast patients and perform MRI-guided breast biopsy.