With a veritable laundry list of philanthropic efforts, you might be hard-pressed to find someone more dedicated to giving back than Steve Landers. The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches thinks so, too. Landers is the honoree of this year’s 16th Annual Arkansas Children’s Award Dinner, an event held to honor outstanding supporters of youth welfare in the state. Previous honorees have included Gov. Mike Beebe, Blanche Lincoln and the late Stanley Reed.
Central Arkansas native whose successful car dealerships have made him a household name has given to the American Cancer Society, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes, Baptist Health Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Arkansas Education Association and AETN, just to name a few.
“I was really surprised at the extent of things Steve is involved in,” said Mike Cumnock, CEO of Youth Ranches (YR). “It really was a pretty natural fit. The more we found out, the better it was.” With Landers’ impressive track record, Cumnock said the YR selection committee, which had Landers in mind because of his effort in donating defibrillators to public schools, had no trouble deciding this year’s honoree.
“I always had a roof over my head and plenty to eat and plenty of clothes,” Landers said. “A lot of kids don’t have that, so I always try to give back to those who don’t.”
Landers got his start in the auto industry right out of high school as a salesman. After buying the Jeep, GMC and Oldsmobile dealerships in his hometown of Benton, he reached a level of success enviable by those not just in Arkansas but across the country as his became the highest selling Chrysler dealership nationwide for several years. Today, Landers is the owner of Little Rock dealerships Landers Toyota-Scion and Landers Chrysler Dodge Jeep, president of RLJ-McLarty-Landers Automotive and an investor in operations in Brazil and China.
He and his wife of 39 years, Sandy, have given an untold amount to various charitable efforts, including cash donations, gifted vehicles and volunteer time. “The community has been good to us,” Sandy said. “We’ve been really blessed in our businesses. This is our way to give back to the community.”
The Toyota-Scion dealership recently started a campaign to donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Charlie’s Boxes and Promise House. For every Facebook check-in to the dealership, $1 will be donated.
It seems Steve is just as committed to his work as he is to charity. He said he used to work 12 to 14 hours a day before a knee injury resulted in no fewer than a dozen surgeries last year. Though the injury reduced the amount of work he can do, he still gives it his all. “I can’t do what I once did, but I can sit around and direct,” he said. “Thankfully, I’ve got two boys who can run the stores. They can pick up my slack.”
The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches Award Dinner not only honors an individual but also raises money for 68 children at three campuses. Cumnock said 90 percent of their operating funds come from charitable contributions—money used to provide a safe and nurturing environment for at-risk and needy youth. All of the children at YR finish high school, and an impressive 80 percent go to college.
“For a lot of our kids, this is the first home they’ve ever had,” he said. “We’re really a place of stability. It’s amazing to me.”
For Landers, the award brings out modesty. “I felt like I probably didn’t deserve it,” he said of his reaction to being selected. “I felt a little inadequate for the guys who had gone before me.
“When we help someone and they’re able to make it to school and raise a family, it makes me feel good,” he continued. “When you see a little homeless kid who finds a home and turns out to be a good citizen, you feel like you’ve done something.”
The Arkansas Children’s Award Dinner
where: Statehouse Convention Center
when: October 13, 6 p.m., Thursday
tickets: $200 per person
contact: Diana Holland, 870-793-6841, ext.301
To donate or learn about volunteer opportunities, visit YouthRanches.com. For more information about the Landers Toyota-Scion donation campaign, visit Facebook.com/LandersToyotaScion.