Local Support. National Exposure.
Have you ever noticed when you drive by Smart Motors, whether it is on the beltline or Odana Road, some of their powerful lamp posts project a green hue? And if you have noticed, ever wondered why?
For 11 months out of the year, since 2015, Smart Motors has been a proud advocate of the “Green Light A Vet” campaign. Only in October do their three perpetually glowing green lights turn pink in support of “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”
“I believe nationally the campaign was started in 2015,” says Smart Motors’ Assistant General Manager, Robert Jordan.” And even though we’ve been supporting it for the past seven years, I’m not really sure people know what exactly the lights mean.”
What Does it Mean?
According to campaign organizers, “’Greenlight A Vet’ is a campaign to establish visible national support for our veterans by changing one light to green. Green is the color of hope, renewal and well-being. ‘Greenlight’ is also a term commonly used to activate forward movement. The simple action of changing one light to green is intended to spark a national conversation regarding the recognition of veterans, and ‘greenlight’ them forward as valued members of our communities.”
“We think the ‘Greenlight a Vet’ campaign is unique and important,” Jordan says. “U.S. military veterans are brave, hard-working men and women who have sacrificed a lot for our nation, but when they are out of uniform they become somewhat camouflaged. By keeping a green light burning, they know their valor is being recognized and honored; not just on Veterans Day.”
Local Locations
For those who are curious to see Smart Motors’ three green lights, there is one next to the beltline at their new Toyota Showroom & Service Center (5901 Odana Road), one at Smart Motors Used Cars (5710 Odana Road), and one at their Prep & Detailing facility (5775 Tokay Blvd).
This year, Veterans Day is observed on November 11. But by changing one light to green in a visible location – your porch, in your home, or at your place of work -and keeping it glowing symbolically shows support for our Vets 365-days a year.
Social Media Hashtag
“We’d love to see other people and companies in the Madison area get involved,” says Jordan. “As part of the campaign, people are asked to share their support by taking a picture of their green light and posting it using the hashtag #greenlightavet. The whole thing takes very little effort, but it speaks volumes.”
About Smart Motors
Smart Motors was founded in 1908 by O.D. Smart and is one of the nation’s oldest automotive dealerships, is the mid-west’s largest hybrid dealer and one of Wisconsin’s largest volume Toyota dealers. Located at 5901 Odana Road, Smart Motors is Wisconsin’s only two-time President’s Cabinet Award recipient from Toyota Motor Sales for superior customer service & sales volume. For more information, check out Smart’s history page.
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