Employees at ADESA Austin, have raised nearly $8,000 for a charity created to build a local youth center in Brady, Texas, near ADESA Austin.

Employees donated the money raised to the Will Long Memorial Fund, formed to honor the memory of nine-year old Will Long who died in a motorcycle accident earlier this year. Long is the son of Pat Long, an auctioneer at ADESA Austin, one of 53 wholesale vehicle auctions owned by Indianapolis, Indiana-based ADESA Corp.

“ADESA Austin employees wanted to show support for Pat and his family,” said Tim Adams, General Manager of ADESA Austin. “ADESA Austin management teams worked together to create a winning strategy, but the employees who completed the work deserve all the credit.”

The fundraising initiative consisted of a profitability competition among ADESA Austin employees in October. Employees were divided into teams and were given the task of generating viable solutions to ensure maximum results for the auction’s customers.

The winning team members were Vicki Richardson, LouAnn Langston, Darren Darnell, Terry Collingsworth, and Shea Wertz. The team sold bricks to ADESA Austin customers that will be used in the construction of the facility. For their contribution, donors’ names will appear on a plaque when the facility opens in 2004. Employees also raffled sports memorabilia, and auctioned a children’s coin-operated amusement ride, raising more than $1,400. Fellow auctioneers pooled funds to purchase the ride.