The 2025 Subaru Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Award
We are honored to be nationally recognized by Subaru of America, Inc. for our dedication to our customers, our community, and the Subaru Love Promise.
The 2025 Subaru Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Award recognizes elite Subaru retailer who provide an exceptional customer experience at every interaction with Subaru. These retailers have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting passions and causes in their local communities in important areas such as environment, community, health, education, and pets.
Here at Subaru, we love our community as much as we love our vehicles and are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of all of our customers and neighbors.
What is the Subaru Love Promise?
The Subaru Love Promise® is our vision to show love and respect to all people at every interaction with Subaru. Subaru and our retailers believe every day gives us an opportunity to positively impact the world around us – by how we support each other, our customers, and our community. Together, we are committed to making the world a better place. \n\n The Love Promise is what makes Subaru More Than a Car Company® and a Subaru retailer More Than a Car Dealer®. It sets a standard that we are committed to living every day. \n\n What is the Subaru Love Promise Community Commitment? \n\n At Subaru, we believe in being a positive force in our community, not just with donations, but with actions that set an example for others to follow. We aim to make the world a better place through several key initiatives that help support and protect people, pets, and our planet:
How is Van Bortel Subaru of Victor dedicated locally to the Love Promise?
At Van Bortel Subaru, our Love Promise to the Rochester and Finger Lakes region can be seen in our proud support of meaningful causes through our partnerships with local organizations, charities, and nonprofits. We're grateful not only to be a part of our community, but to serve it as well.
Lollypop Farm , Humane Society of Greater Rochester, Operation Freedom Ride
Victor Village Tree Board, ADK, Adirondack Mountain Club , Genesee Valley Chapter
The Norman Howard School, The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House
IACKids: It's About Caring for Kids, House of Mercy, Coffee Connection / Project Empower
Wilmot Cancer Center, Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester
Love Promise Stories from Van Bortel Subaru of Victor
Subaru and Van Bortel Subaru of Victor believe in making a positive impact on the communities in which we live and work. We uphold that belief through our Love Promise Community Commitment. Every month, we select inspiring stories from customers and partners from around our area who strive to support our collective commitment and feature them here
Making a positive impact in classrooms at the Academy of Health Sciences Charter School. - Alex M
Millions of students in high-needs schools across the country lack the supplies and learning materials necessary to be successful in the classroom. In fact, 92% of teachers in the United States have students whose families cannot afford to purchase any school supplies for their children, often requiring teachers to purchase resources with their own money. This year, through the Subaru Loves Learning partnership between Subaru and AdoptAClassroom.org, Van Bortel Subaru of Victor continued supporting students at the Academy of Health Sciences by adopting classrooms and donating funds to help teachers purchase school supplies and resources for their students. As the largest corporate donor to AdoptAClassroom.org, Subaru and its retailers have supported over 950,000 students nationwide.
Subaru Loves Pets and Happy Trails for Charlie! - Alex M
October is Subaru Loves Pets month and Van Bortel Subaru of Victor once again teamed up with our animal-loving partner Ontario County Humane Society, Happy Tails Animal Shelter to help every loving animal find a loving home. As part of our Subaru Love Promise, Van Bortel Subaru of Victor provided $4,000 in direct funding through grants administered by the ASPCA to our animal welfare partner, to help cover costs for preparing animals for adoption, veterinary expenses, and more. In addition, we hosted a pet adoption event to help a few furry friends awaiting adoption, giving them the chance to get out and meet some new people, get some well-deserved attention, and feel some love! After the event, the Happy Tails shared the story of Charlie, one of the dogs who came to our event. Our friends at Happy Tails shared, "We are thrilled to provide an update on Charlie! Charlie has been through SO much in his life. He was in a loving home and his owner had a medical emergency and he was brought to us at 4 years old. He showed no signs of illness but we have each shelter resident see a vet when they first arrive. Charlie was diagnosed with Heart worm, a potentially fatal illness that requires medication and strict rest to prevent pulmonary blockages in the lungs as the worms are clearing. It was hard for him - no exercise. When he recovered he was adopted. But Charlie had some separation anxiety - understandable considering all the changes in his life - and he was brought back. We thought long and hard about what would be the right fit for Charlie because we wanted to set him up for success. We decided a home with another dog would be the answer. We brought him to an adoption event at Van Bortel Subaru of Victor and a wonderful family with a young dog named Jefe fell in love with him. This is why we do what we do. Happy Trails, Charlie!! Thank you Van Bortel Subaru of Victor for supporting Ontario County Humane Society and Happy Tails Animal Shelter."
Offering warmth, care, and encouragement to cancer patients in our community. - Alex M
For the past several years, Van Bortel Subaru of Rochester and Van Bortel Subaru of Victor have partnered with Blood Cancer United, formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), and WIlmot Cancer Institute to offer warmth, care, and encouragement, through the Subaru Loves to Care initiative. The partnership has involved delivering blankets and messages of hope to cancer patients in our community. Once again, our teams from both Van Bortel Subaru locations personally delivered these blankets and thoughtful notes to Wilmot Cancer Center. This year, we had the chance to share some kind words with patients Mike and Jim, along with Jim's wife Sharon, lovely people whose strength, determination, and positive outlook define the will to fight and true hope for survivors! We are grateful for Volunteer Coordinator, Hazel, who always makes us feel welcome with a smile. We all agreed that she looks fabulous behind the wheel of a WRX and we have the photo to prove it!
Thank you Van Bortel Subaru of Victor for sharing the love and opening your hearts, year after year! - Neil B
IACKids was formed for the charitable purpose of aiding families living in the Greater Rochester New York region who are in need of financial assistance during their child's longterm inpatient / outpatient hospitalization. Since 2012, Van Bortel Subaru has been our largest donor, supporting our mission to help families facing childhood illness. We are not only grateful for the funds we have received through the Subaru Share the Love event as a hometown charity partner, we are also extremely thankful for the support and generous donations made by both Kitty Van Bortel and employees of Van Bortel Subaru at our annual Open Your Hearts Gala fundraiser. All of these contributions help allow working moms and dads to take unpaid medical leave from their jobs so that they can each be at their child's side and be present for their families during such difficult times. In 2019, IACKids named Kitty Van Bortel our Humanitarian of the Year, and in 2023, honored Kitty for more than a decade of philanthropy. It truly takes a village to help those in need and Kitty and her team have stepped up for us year after year by sharing the love and opening their hearts to our organization and the families served.
Helping to grow a greener and healthier community by donating and planting trees in Victor. - Alex M
April is Subaru Loves the Earth month and we are proud of our commitment to supporting initiatives and the mission to make a positive impact on our local environment. This April, we partnered with Subaru of America and the Arbor Day Foundation to distribute trees in our community as part of the largest corporate tree distribution in the history of the Arbor Day Foundation. We are grateful for all of our customers who were able to reserve a tree and take part in helping to grow a greener, healthier community! In addition, our Subaru Green Team in Victor celebrated Earth Day and Arbor Day with the Victor Village Tree Board and others in the community by donating and planting trees at the Village of Victor Municipal Park. These trees not only make a positive impact today, but will also make a positive impact in the future! Our Arbor Day celebration and community involvement is an annual tradition, representing our long-term commitment to supporting green initiatives and the mission to make the community a healthier and happier place to live.
Van Bortel Subaru of Victor Supports Volunteers of America Children Center - Rochester, NY - Eli T
Imagine having to go without a coat, shoes, or even socks. For millions of children and adults experiencing homelessness and other urgent need situations across the country, even here in Rochester, this can be a harsh reality. Helping others is the key to a strong community which is why Van Borel Subaru of Victor believes in helping to support individuals and families in urgent need. This season, for our Subaru Loves to Help® initiative, we are partnering with Operation Warm®, a national nonprofit focused on connecting children with the resources they need to thrive. Through this partnership and other historical Subaru Loves to Help efforts, Subaru and retailers like us will have helped nearly 900,000 children and adults in urgent need so far. On 1/14/25, Van Bortel Subaru of Victor partnered with Volunteers of America Children's Center and donated 120 coats to children in urgent need. These essential items not only help keep children protected, warm, and dry, it can have a significant impact on a child’s mental and emotional well-being.
Uplifting Philanthropy, an Outstanding Philanthropist, and The Subaru Love Promise. - Meghan C
The AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) is a global organization that uplifts philanthropy. We define “philanthropy” as promoting the welfare of others by donating time, money, experience, skills, or talents to help create a better world. You don't have to be wealthy. You just have to want to give, and that can be your time, your talent, or your treasure. The AFP Genesee Valley Chapter is a volunteer-based organization representing more than 200 fundraising professionals in the Greater Rochester region. Our mission is to advocate for philanthropy and to promote ethical and successful non-profit development by addressing the needs of diverse fundraising professionals in our region. Every year, AFP honors those that are engaged in philanthropy. This year, Kitty Van Bortel was selected as the recipient of our Outstanding Philanthropist Award. This award honors an individual or family with a proven record of exceptional generosity who, through direct financial support or community service, demonstrates outstanding civic and charitable responsibility, and whose generosity encourages others to take philanthropic leadership roles. Kitty's nomination this year was a very exciting for us at AFP and the entire panel that reviewed all of the nominations, because she was nominated by a huge collective of community organizations. The fact that she's had that type of impact on so many organizations is a real gift to the greater Rochester community. Congratulations Kitty! On behalf of everyone at AFPGV, thank you for your exceptional commitment to the community!
We are grateful for the support from Subaru, Kitty, and Staff at Van Bortel Subaru! - Christina T
The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester is thankful for once again being selected as a hometown charity to receive funds from the annual “Subaru Share the Love Event.” Kitty Van Bortel’s leadership and extraordinary philanthropy in the Rochester community, specifically her investment - both personally and through fundraising efforts – in the Coalition is a partnership we truly value. We are not only thankful for the support that we receive from the Subaru Share the Love Event, we are also thankful for the additional support we receive directly from Van Bortel employees. The Breast Cancer Coalition hosts fundraising events every year to raise awareness, support, and funding. Employees have not only volunteered at our events throughout the year, they have also made very generous donations! In fact, employees from Van Bortel Subaru have donated thousands of dollars to support our mission and help ensure that our programs remain free and accessible to all who need them. We truly appreciate the ongoing partnership you continue to show the Coalition. Van Bortel Subaru’s participation in these events truly makes a significant impact in the lives of so many here in our community. Thank you for your commitment to the Coalition and the Subaru Love Promise.
Helping to advance equity in education, one classroom at a time. - Alex A
Millions of students in high-needs schools across the country lack the supplies and learning materials necessary to be successful in the classroom. In fact, 92% of teachers in the United States have students whose families cannot afford to purchase any school supplies for their children, often requiring teachers to purchase resources with their own money. This year, through the Subaru Loves Learning partnership between Subaru and AdoptAClassroom.org, Van Bortel Subaru of Victor continued supporting students at the Academy of Health Sciences by adopting classrooms and donating funds to help teachers purchase resources for their students. We hear it everyday, a donation from Subaru retailers makes a difference in helping the students in your community prepare for their future. The Academy of Health Sciences shared their gratitude firsthand for the support of everyone at Van Bortel Subaru of Victor: “I want to personally thank you for your incredibly generous donation to my classroom at the Academy of Health Sciences. Your contribution will make a significant difference not only for me as a teacher but also for my students as we continue our journey into the world of health sciences, specifically through the lens of mathematics. With your support, I’ll be able to provide my students with more hands-on learning experiences that will help them better understand this important field and help develop a love of learning through discovery. Your generosity truly impacts their educational experience and will help inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals. Thank you again for believing in our mission and for helping to make a real difference in our classroom.” - Ashley A. “Thank you so much for your generous donation! Your support will be used to provide essential supplies for our annual Health Science Fair at the Academy of Health Sciences. This event allows our students to showcase their knowledge and skills in health science, giving them hands-on experience that is vital for their future careers. The Academy of Health Sciences is dedicated to preparing students for success in the healthcare field, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to make meaningful contributions to society. We are incredibly grateful for your investment in this important educational opportunity. Thanks to your generosity, our students will have the tools they need to excel and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.” - Paulina I. “Thank you for your generous donation! With your help, students will be able to enrich their literacy learning and deepen their love of reading! These funds will be used to purchase important literacy manipulatives, and relatable texts for middle schoolers that read at a primary level. With this donation we can have more celebrations for students growth and success in ELA!” - Alicja B. “This donation impacted my students by having access to supplies to build human body systems, windmills and to explore the field of health sciences by having our own student stethoscope. I would not have been able to provide that for our students without the support and help of Subaru. You are making a difference in my teaching, curriculum, student learning and their ability to expand on learning with hands on projects. Thank you so much!!!!” - Jessica A. “Your repeated donations to the Academy of Health Sciences in the last four years have helped build our music program from the ground up. I have been the music teacher in that time, so it has been my unique pleasure to see all of the opportunities you have given to our students; the majority of our funding has come from your support. At one point I thought I would have to deprive my students of something in their curriculum while the school was in transition for a new location. Thanks to the funding from Subaru, we were able to purchase a more portable solution, keep the curriculum, and we are still able to replace and maintain our instruments years later. On behalf of approximately 400 students, thank you again!” - Steve L. On behalf of everyone at AdoptAClassroom.org and the Academy of Health Sciences, thank you. We can’t do it without your help.
Van Bortel Subaru shows cancer patients that they care. - Alex M
For the past several years, Van Bortel Subaru of Victor and Van Bortel Subaru of Rochester have partnered with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Wilmot Cancer Institute through the Subaru Loves to Care initiative. The partnership has involved delivery of blankets and messages of HOPE to cancer patients. Over the summer, employees from Van Bortel Subaru delivered these items for cancer patients in treatment and we are forever grateful for this partnership.
