‘Do it for the kids’: The beginning of Take 5’s Children’s Hospital campaign
Learn more about the history of Take 5 Oil Change’s annual Children’s Hospital fundraiser from someone who’s been there from the beginning.
In 2006, Pete Frey anxiously waited at the Children's Hospital of New Orleans as his newborn grandson, Landon, underwent surgery.
“He was born with a condition that caused his intestines to be out of whack,” Pete recalls. “It was an intensive deal for a newborn baby, and so we spent a lot of time at the hospital.”
Pete and his wife were amazed by the love, care, and professionalism at the Children’s Hospital and felt drawn to give back in some way. They bought several rocking chairs and donated them to the NICU. Pete didn’t realize it would be the start of an ongoing relationship that would impact children in hospitals across the country.
At the time, Pete was an executive leader at Take 5 Oil Change. A year after his grandson’s successful surgery and donating the new rocking chairs, a woman from the hospital reached out to ask if he and the company would be interested in helping in some way to raise money for the local Children’s Hospital that services southern Louisiana.
“We decided that for a certain period every year, we would go into collection mode and ask our customers for donations,” Pete says. “People responded greatly to it.”
That first year was a huge success, and the company raised more than $10,000. The project gained footing and grew as the company expanded beyond the New Orleans hospital. Then, in 2016, Driven Brands acquired Take 5 Oil Change and the donation campaign blossomed into what it is today. In 2022, Take 5 Oil Change raised $1.1 million for Children’s Hospitals.
“I have so much gratitude to Driven Brands because they totally embraced what we were doing and set out to build on it,” says Pete.
In 2018, Pete retired from Take 5 Oil Change as a Senior Vice President. Throughout his career, he developed a deep understanding of the business, and it wasn’t long into retirement that he looked around and realized that his journey with Take 5 didn’t have to be over. He saw an opportunity to stay active with the company – this time, as a franchise owner.
When the perfect location for a Take 5 became available, Pete decided to take the leap: “It wasn't necessarily a game plan, but it was the next best thing I could think of doing.”
After retiring, Pete stepped into the role of franchise owner at a new location in Covington, Louisiana.
It might not have been in a predetermined plan, but it allowed Pete to stay active in the Take 5 community and continue with what he started many years ago. Only now, he has someone special working alongside him.
Pete’s grandson Landon, who 17 years ago was a patient at the Children’s Hospital, now works for him: “He’s a great young man, and it’s cool when collection time comes around to see him out there collecting money for hospitals like the one that saved his life.”
What started as a scared grandfather waiting to hear about his grandchild transformed into a nationwide initiative to raise funds for Children’s Hospitals throughout the country. For Pete, it’s the easiest cause to get behind.
“In the world, we’re living in right now, there’s just not enough goodness going around,” Pete says. “This is something that everybody can embrace”
Everyone who donates $3 or more at a Take 5 Oil Change location will be entered into a drawing for a free oil change, with one winner per location. Every donation, no matter how small, will contribute to the overall goal and help provide critical resources to Children's Hospitals nationwide. The campaign will continue through September 16.