MESA, Ariz., — Sun Auto Tire & Service has launched a new nationwide community engagement program designed to connect everyday automotive service with charitable giving and local partnerships across the United States.
The initiative, called Drive With Purpose, encourages Sun Auto locations and customers to support nonprofit organizations serving their communities. The program expands the company’s philanthropic efforts following more than $70,000 in charitable giving in 2025 and $30,000 already donated in the first quarter of 2026.
Through Drive With Purpose, Sun Auto locations will collaborate with local organizations while aligning giving efforts around three primary focus areas: community partnerships, support for veterans and first responders, and technical education and workforce development. The program allows routine automotive service visits to contribute to fundraising efforts that support local causes.
“Drive With Purpose is a platform in which we can support our local communities every day,” said Tony Puckett, chief executive officer of Sun Auto Tire & Service. “It connects the automotive service work that we are doing in our stores to the opportunity to serve others in need within our local markets and gives our teams and guests a great way to support these amazing charitable organizations. Every mile truly matters, and this is how we bring that to life.”
The company also emphasized its ongoing commitment to community engagement through partnerships with nonprofits focused on veteran support, workforce training, and neighborhood initiatives. During the company’s DRIVE 2026 Leadership Workshop earlier this year, regional teams competed to direct charitable donations toward nonprofit partners serving their local communities.
Programs like Drive With Purpose reflect a growing trend among businesses seeking to integrate service and compassion into everyday operations—demonstrating that acts of care for communities can be embedded directly into how organizations serve their customers.
As the program expands across Sun Auto’s network of more than 550 service centers nationwide, the company aims to strengthen connections between local businesses, charitable organizations, and the communities they serve.
Bruce Petillo, founder of Heartitude, said initiatives that connect everyday work with service represent a powerful model for community impact. “When organizations intentionally weave compassion into their daily operations, they remind us that business can be a force for good and that even ordinary interactions can become opportunities to uplift others,” Petillo said.