Community Rallies Around NAPA Store Owners

Small town America is known as a place where the people work hard, know one another, and help their neighbors. Adel, Iowa, is one of those places.
John and Lorinda Standley own Adel Auto Supply, the NAPA AUTO PARTS store located on Main Street. The store buzzes with community activity and flyers for local events often hang in the store’s windows. Whenever the community needs volunteers, the Standleys can be counted on to offer their time, donations, and support.
Community Rallies Around NAPA Owners
In December 2017, Lorinda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment and testing at MercyOne Des Moines Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic. After a hard fought two-year battle with cancer, Lorinda passed away in late January 2020.
Last July, the community rallied around the Standleys. Pete Irwin, manager at Adel Auto Supply; Randy Judge, recently retired Sales Manager at NAPA’s Des Moines Distribution Center; and the Standley’s son Chris and his wife Rachel, approached John with a proposal for a community fundraiser to help defray the costs associated with Lorinda’s fight against cancer.
Chris Standley said, “The goal was to create a fun atmosphere where people can enjoy themselves, help raise money for my parents and, most importantly, come and support my mom.”
Never one to seek the spotlight, John said, “Pete is the one who convinced me to agree to an event. Then he and his wife Tami, along with Randy, Chris and Rachel, a good friend Van Van Buren, plus dozens of others, including many from the NAPA family, put it all together.”
They all went to work securing the Country Lane Lodge for the evening, arranging for food and entertainment, gathering auction items, and more. The town’s website, www.DiscoverAdel.com, handled the publicity, took photographs, and helped make it a success. On the evening of the event NAPA Des Moines Sales Manager Jason Zeliadt served as emcee and auctioneer. General Manager Scott German Jeff Weber, and a number of other reps were also on hand.
Support and Encouragement Go a Long Way
“It was a great evening.” John said. “About 275 people came out to the Country Lane Lodge in July to enjoy dinner and music, bid on auction items, and share in a fun night. To feel the support and hear the encouraging words from our friends and neighbors went a long way for us, especially Lorinda. The event really gave her a boost.”
In all, more than 100 items were donated for the silent and live auctions. Among them were several NAPA items including a Tool Chest. Guests also bid on tickets to basketball and hockey games at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, as well as other products and services donated by Adel restaurants and other businesses. In addition, attendees also had the opportunity to purchase a motivational “Hope Changes Everything #StandleyStrong” t-shirt.
John said the evening was a huge success. The Standleys donated a portion of the money raised to the American Cancer Society to help others in their fight against cancer. “The American Cancer Society is a terrific resource for information, various services, support, and more. I can’t say enough good things about them.”
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. In addition to researching cancer and its causes, the American Cancer Society works to promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent cancer, fights for lifesaving policy changes, and provides everything from emotional support to the latest cancer information for those who have been touched by cancer. For more information, visit www.cancer.org.
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More than 90 years ago, the National Automotive Parts Association ("NAPA") was created to meet America’s growing need for an effective auto parts distribution system. Today, 91% of do-it-yourself customers recognize the NAPA brand name. We have over 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts Stores nationwide serving all 50 states with a unique inventory control system that helps you find the exact part that you need.