St. Michaels Community Center's building renovation fueled by generous car donation

From left: Preston Ford Sales Consultant Earl Wilson, St. Michaels Community Center Vice-Chair Langley Shook, St. Michaels resident Marsha Kacher, Preston Ford Sales Consultant Steven Sensibaugh, Jr., and Preston Ford Sales Consultant Tara Shuler stand in front of the Mazda Miata convertible Ms. Kacher donated in memory of her late husband, Russel. Preston Automotive is facilitating the sale and has written a generous check in support of SMCC’s building renovation project.

In a heartwarming gesture of community support, Marsha Kacher, a resident of St. Michaels, Maryland, has ignited a wave of transformation by generously donating her late husband Russel's Mazda Miata convertible to the St. Michaels Community Center. The impactful donation, facilitated in collaboration with Preston Automotive Group, will help to complete the Community Center's ongoing building renovation project.

Dr. Russel Kacher, a college professor and admired Commissioner of St. Michaels during the early 2000s, is fondly remembered for his dedication to the community. His legacy lives on through Marsha's thoughtful donation. “Russel would have loved this as SMCC does so much for our community,” she says. “Especially for the kids.” 

SMCC Vice-Chair Langley Shook, a personal friend of Dr. Kacher, expressed gratitude, stating, “Legacy gifts, including bequests and donations like Marsha’s, go a long way in furthering our mission. And we’re especially grateful for Preston Automotive Group’s partnership in facilitating this donation, which we hope can be the start of more opportunities like this in our future.”

The renovations of SMCC's building at 103 Railroad Avenue, slated for completion and reopening in late spring, promise state-of-the-art spaces for children and adult programs, including a groundbreaking culinary and hospitality workforce training program. The revamped Community Center will boast classrooms, a spacious common area with cutting-edge audio-visual technology, and a modern commercial kitchen. This kitchen not only will train individuals for jobs in the hospitality industry but also serve as a hub for providing prepared meals and groceries to those in need.

Preston Automotive Group President and CEO David Wilson, Jr., highlighted the significance of community values in their collaboration. “Community is a core value at the Preston Automotive Group, and we are grateful for this opportunity to partner with the St. Michaels Community Center and other organizations that do so much for our local community members in need.”

Donations to the St. Michaels Community Center, along with the proceeds from its Treasure Cove Thrift Shop, situated at 200 Railroad Ave. in St. Michaels, play a pivotal role in providing essential human services, programs, and community events for people in St. Michaels and the broader Maryland Bay Hundred area.

​Learn more about SMCC's initiatives and building renovations at www.stmichaelscc.org and www.stmichaelscc.org/future.