TommyCar Auto Group, Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office Raise Funds for Dana-Farber

HADLEY — TommyCar Auto Group, a local company that operates five car dealerships and a body shop in Hampshire County, joined forces with the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Patrick Cahillane for their ‘No Shave November’ campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This year, the Sheriff’s Office raised $2,500, which was matched by TommyCar. In addition, customers of TommyCar were able to donate their TommyCar rewards points (which can be earned through vehicle servicing and spent toward a new car), adding another $2,235 for a grand total of $7,235. This is almost $2,000 more than was raised last year, which was also donated to Dana-Farber.

“We are grateful to have had this opportunity to partner with the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office again and to raise even more money than last year for such a deserving cause,” said Carla Cosenzi, who co-owns TommyCar Auto Group with her brother, Tom. “The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute provided outstanding care to our father. This campaign is part of our ongoing commitment to honor his memory. We really hope this donation can go to help more people like our father.”

No Shave November is devoted to increasing cancer awareness while raising funds to support cancer prevention, research and education, as well as those fighting the battle. It’s a month-long effort in which participants forgo shaving and grooming to evoke conversations about cancer awareness.

Throughout the month of November, deputies and staff at the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Department had the opportunity to opt out of the dress code and grow out their facial hair with a donation of $20 to TommyCar Auto Group’s Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament. Over the past 12 years, the annual tournament has raised more than $1 million to support brain-tumor research at Dana-Farber.

The Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, under the leadership of Director Dr. Patrick Wen, has achieved cancer breakthroughs in the disease’s biology, drug design, and patient care. Wen and his research team now seek to broaden the understanding of cancers’ molecular pathology and bolster research with a robust clinical-trial program to identify drugs that can target these diseases directly.

“My brother and I have seen first-hand what these families have to go through,” Cosenzi said. “That is why this organization is so close to our hearts, and we are grateful they were there for us when we needed them. We are so thankful for the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office for helping us raise funds to one day find a cure.”