AWARD
others, and assisting others – particularly women – in realizing their leadership potential. In the past, the local award has been presented to one person at a time.
Elrod and Sheeran both work with the Geweke Caring For Women Foundation, as well as alongside many other employees of Geweke Ford.
Their father, Larry Geweke, started a local breast cancer awareness race in 1997. Another foundation turned down a race here because there was another nearby in Sacramento. It turned out that it worked well for the Geweke family because it allowed them to create their own organization, keep all funds local and work with local hospitals and doctors.
Both Geweke Ford and the Caring For Women Foundation are family oriented. Elrod, Sheeran, their father and their brother are co-owners of the dealership and the Athena Award recipients are deeply involved in the foundation.
“The reason we are the way we are is because of how our parents raised us,” Elrod said.
The foundation was started in 2006. While Elrod was in high school, she helped manage the race alongside Renee Matthews, before Sheeran took over.
It has since come back around to Elrod, alongside
others.
The foundation started out focusing only on breast cancer treatments, but Sheeran said it has grown to include large, durable imaging equipment, breast biopsy machines and more.
“We also have some new and exciting things coming up,” Elrod said. “New ways to help people, while still concentrating on our mission of helping women.”
Sheeran said the community is very giving, which helps with keeping everything local and the togetherness of Yuba-sutter environment remaining strong.
“We are able to give directly to the cancer center,” Sheeran said. “We want to make it very low stress for everyone involved.”
The award recipients stress that they want to help continue to raise funds for the community, alongside everyone involved in the foundation,
to further awareness and early detection.
Since everything is local, the cost of fundraising is kept lower – 19 percent last year. Elrod said the average is 36 percent and the benchmark is 23 percent.
Growing up, both women and their siblings had four principles drilled into them: faith, family, fitness and finance.
“They wanted us to have a balance in life,” Sheeran said of her folks. “… and in the culture of our stores. All employees are a big factor in Pink October.”
The sisters holding a high position in the automotive industry is also something their father wanted them to have. Elrod, Sheeran, Larry Geweke and their brother are co-owners.
Both women have passed this style of thinking on to their children.
“Our kids don’t think there is any other way to do things,” Elrod said.