The Ohio athletic directors for the Lorain Titans and the Avon Eagles have nothing but gratitude for a local family-owned car dealership that continues supporting their student athletes.

Joyce Buick GMC in Avon, Ohio, is collaborating with both Avon High School and Lorain City Schools (LCS), where the dealership has sponsored their athletic departments through comprehensive marketing partnerships created by DistrictWON.

At Avon High School, for example, Joyce Buick GMC has made contributions toward naming the new tennis facility, where pickleball will also be played, according to Athletic Director Erich Frombach.

“What makes Avon special is the support we receive from our parents, community members, and our business sponsors,” Frombach said. “We believe our tennis and pickleball facility will be one of the best in northeast Ohio and we are grateful to partner with Joyce Buick to help promote the facility and events at this facility.”

LCS in Lorain, Ohio, received Titans uniforms for its wrestlers and boys and girls basketball players from Joyce Buick GMC — eliminating a cost that otherwise would have fallen on parents, according to Bryan Koury, director of athletics for LCS.

“The fact that we have local businesses willing to help our student athletes and community is tremendous,” Koury said. “We want our kids to look good and feel good when they compete, so for them to have classy uniforms like many of our surrounding communities really motivates them.”

Generally, such support for schools from a local business like Joyce Buick GMC has a positive impact on not just the athletic departments, but on other academic activities and programs, the athletic directors said.

“Raising the necessary funds to allow our youth programs to even exist is a huge hurdle, and uniforms are one of our primary expenses,” explained Koury. “This partnership allows us to increase the number of kids that participate because it’s less money that needs to be raised annually.”

According to Koury, data also shows that kids participating in youth sports are more likely to have success in the classroom, “especially when you take into account that our coaches have academic requirements.”

With that in mind, he said increasing participation really makes a difference both on and off the court and mat.

Likewise, Frombach said that the Avon High School-Joyce Buick GMC partnership will help attract tournaments, camps, and other events that will draw positive attention and promotion of both tennis and pickleball.

Teaming up for such partnerships also resonates with neighbors and the surrounding communities.

“We have been doing a great job of communicating to our parents and community about all that Joyce Buick GMC has done to help our youth,” said Koury with LCS. “It’s been very well received and much appreciated.”

“Anytime you have a generous family and business owner give back to the schools and community,” Frombach said, “it will show that Avon is a great place to live and raise your kids.”

And the gratitude goes both ways. Mike Joyce, president of Joyce Buick GMC, said LCS and Avon High School both have been instrumental in his company’s success through the years.

“We’ve been in business for 50 years and these communities have really been supportive of us, and we wanted to give back by supporting the schools,” he said. “I think it also gives us an opportunity to enhance the experience that the students have at the schools by providing some assistance with their athletic programs.”

At the same time, Joyce said the partnerships facilitated by DistrictWON also have given the company a chance “to express our gratitude to the communities and the people who rely on the schools for their education and to support both the students and the parents.”

Rocky River, Ohio-based DistrictWON creates meaningful brand connections within local communities through marketing partnerships between businesses and high schools. For more information on how to reach high school students, parents and administrators in a way that truly makes a difference in the community, visit https://www.districtwon.com, https://www.facebook.com/districtwon, or follow https://twitter.com/districtwon on Twitter.