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Subaru gives local veteran best Christmas ever

Herald and News - 12/15/2017

It was more than Jacob King ever could have dreamed, as the gift his family received Thursday evening was in his words — a life-changer.

King, A Klamath Falls Army veteran, was selected among several applicants to be the recipient of a free vehicle, an annual giveaway by Klamath Falls Honda Subaru, and the first in their recently opened new showroom and service center.

Accompanied by his four young daughters — Ava, Aurora, Alison and Amynah — and surrounded by Subaru staff, King received the keys to a completely refurbished 2005 Subaru Impreza which Klamath Falls Subaru General Manager Blake Underriner called ‘immaculate.’

The giveaway was part of Klamath Falls Subaru’s customer appreciation night. The vehicle donation involves service technicians and staff donating time to completely refurbish a Subaru vehicle to be donated to an individual in the community who is without transportation.

Without a vehicle for an extensive amount of time, King and his daughters walk around the community, and while he says it has helped shed extra pounds, doing so in the cold has not been much fun.

“This is going to make an insane difference,” said King. “This car will be a life-changer for us. My world just got bigger, I’ve felt like I was living in a shoe box for years, now I actually get to see the globe.”

It was more than just a car received, as the giveaway also included a $200 gas card, and his daughters each received a surprise bundle of Christmas gifts which were quickly and enthusiastically shredded open on the showroom floor.

The car is just the latest in fortuitous assistance King has received from the community, who thanked James Lindsey from Supportive Service of Veteran Families in particular. Lindsey aided King in finding a three-bedroom home for the family, and submitted King’s nomination for the vehicle giveaway.

He also thanked his landlord, who King dubbed, ‘the best landlord ever,’ noting how often she checks in on them to make sure everyone is okay.

King had been trying to figure out a way to save up for a vehicle for some time, but didn’t know financially how to do so. Now with keys in hand completely free of charge, he plans to take his daughters to all of the regional parks, and hit the road to explore the back country.

“This is the best Christmas ever,” said an exasperated King. “This is wonderful, I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t know how I was ever going to get it done (buying a car). It was going to take a long time, so this is amazing.”

Applicants for the Klamath Falls Honda Subaru vehicle giveaway program are nominated through community outreach program partnerships.

Jacob King helps his daughter Allison, 3, open Christmas gifts from the Klamath Falls Subaru dealership Thursday evening at Klamath Falls Honda Subaru. King was the recipient of an annual free car giveaway to a member of the community without transportation, while each of his four daughters received gifts of their own, courtesy of Subaru staff.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

Jacob King helps his daughter Allison, 3, open Christmas gifts from the Klamath Falls Subaru dealership Thursday evening at Klamath Falls Honda Subaru. King was the recipient of an annual free car giveaway to a member of the community without transportation, while each of his four daughters received gifts of their own, courtesy of Subaru staff.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

Jacob King is handed the keys to his family's new Subaru Impreza by Subaru Master Technician Thursday evening at Klamath Falls Honda Subaru. An Army veteran, King was selected to receive a refurbished vehicle free of charge as part of an annual giveaway program by Klamath Falls Subaru.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

Jacob King is handed the keys to his family's new Subaru Impreza by Subaru Master Technician Thursday evening at Klamath Falls Honda Subaru. An Army veteran, King was selected to receive a refurbished vehicle free of charge as part of an annual giveaway program by Klamath Falls Subaru.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

Daughters of Jacob King, an Army veteran who was given a free car courtesy of Klamath Falls Subaru Thursday evening, receive gifts of their own from Subaru staff.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

Daughters of Jacob King, an Army veteran who was given a free car courtesy of Klamath Falls Subaru Thursday evening, receive gifts of their own from Subaru staff.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

Jacob King, center, and his four daughters stand in front of their new 2005 Subaru Impreza Thursday evening after receiving their keys at Klamath Subaru. The vehicle was given to the King family free of charge as part of an annual giveaway coordinated by Klamath Falls Honda Subaru.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small

Jacob King, center, and his four daughters stand in front of their new 2005 Subaru Impreza Thursday evening after receiving their keys at Klamath Subaru. The vehicle was given to the King family free of charge as part of an annual giveaway coordinated by Klamath Falls Honda Subaru.

H&N photo by Brittany Hosea-Small