Seth Meyer/Nevada Appeal Eagle Valley Children's Home Executive Director Pam Smith, in the driver's seat, sits with one of the home's clients and Mallory Foundation board member Ellen Shock in the home's 2004 Honda Odyssey EXL, which was purchased after a donation from the foundation.
Clients of Eagle Valley Children's Home will be riding around town in comfort and style, thanks to a generous donation from the Mallory Foundation and help from Michael Hohl Honda in Carson City.
The foundation recently donated $32,000 for the purchase of a 2004 Honda Odyssey EXL, sandstone in color. The van has many amenities, including air conditioning, multiple seat configurations and automatic sliding side doors.
"This will really help in transporting our clients around the community," said Pam Smith, executive director of Eagle Valley Children's Home.
"This is more of a typical vehicle, and one which will be used by clients who don't necessarily have to use a wheelchair."
Smith said the home has two older vehicles used for client transportation, 1988 and 1991 vans, in addition to a minibus purchased in 1999.
"We needed to replace one of them," Smith said. "In terms of regular transport, this is wonderful for us.
"We are in the community a lot. We go to the hot springs, parks, out for meals, our workshop and doctor visits."
Carson City attorney Riley Beckett is a board member of the Mallory Foundation, in addition to Ellen Shock and Tom Cook. The foundation is named after Marion Mallory, who held more than 200 patents in the United States and Europe, primarily involving the automobile.
Mallory invented the electrical ignition system and had the successful business known as Mallory Electric on Mallory Way, now Mr. Gasket.
In 1991, Jean Louise Mallory, sole remaining heir of the Mallory estate, established the Mallory Foundation designating six beneficiaries: Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Mich.; Leader Dogs for the Blind of Rochester, Mich.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology of Cambridge, Mass; University of Nevada, Reno; Eagle Valley Children's Home and Carson-Tahoe Hospital.
"This is the first donation to the Children's Home since the death of Jean in 2002," Beckett said.
"The foundation was formed as a way to support the communities she was involved in."
Mallory moved his business from Detroit to Carson City in the late 1960s.
Brad Tombropoulos, Internet manager for Michael Hohl Honda, presented the vehicle to Smith. Members of the home's board of directors were also present.
"They say buying a car can be a stressful process," Smith said. "With Michael Hohl, they made this whole thing a lot easier."
Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.