Cars 4 Christmas

BY: Katrina Segers, Staff Writer

Ben McCall/Sun Photo Martice Madlock, 7, gets a kiss from his mother, Schenita Shilow, Olathe, while Shelter Insurance agent Joy Parrish enrolls their new car Dec. 20 at the Sheraton Hotel, 6100 College Blvd., Overland Park. Shilow received a 1994 Buick from 99.7 KYYS’ Cars 4 Christmas giveaway.

Schenita Shilow will no longer be walking two miles to work.

Cars 4 Christmas gave Shilow a 1994 Buick for Christmas Dec. 20 during a live broadcast giveaway by the radio station 99.7 KYYS at the Sheraton Hotel, 6100 College Blvd., Overland Park.

“I'm overwhelmed,” Shilow said. “It's just amazing.”

The radio station surprised Shilow by calling her at work several weeks ago.

“At first I thought it was a joke and I almost hung up on them,” she said. “Then I started yelling.”

The mother of three boys – Malek Harris, 6; Martice Madlock, 7; and Kobi Curtis, 9 – can now drive to places such as the grocery store and pharmacy instead of walking.

“It benefits not only me and my children, but my disabled mother too,” Shilow said.

Recipients of cars in the program are nominated by friends, co-workers or social workers.

Kit Everley, a teacher at Central Elementary, 324 S. Water, Olathe, has been helping Shilow since she moved to Olathe in September and the boys began school at Central.

“This family is so deserving just because of what they've experienced in their lives so far,” Everley said. “I just felt such importance to help this family. Their smiles just tug at your heart. For a lot of parents things are very difficult, so we wanted to help them to turn things around.”

Shilow said she had been in an abusive relationship for six years and needed to get the children out of that atmosphere.

“We literally had to leave everything behind,” Shilow said. “We have no furniture, no clothes. It has been a struggle and I thought my family was going to be homeless, but things have just been coming through when we need it.”

“For a single mom with three children, it has to be very, very difficult coming to a new town and starting over,” Everley said. “We like parents to know they are cared about when they come to this school, that they have a lot of support.”

Cars 4 Christmas President and “Car Santa” Terry Franz said cars for the program are donated by individuals and dealerships. Local businesses and fundraisers help fund the organization.

Franz said about 20 individuals took cars home during the event at the hotel.

Shilow said the car will allow her to find a better job or a second job to support her family.

“I've cried so many tears of joy that there ain't no more tears up here to cry,” she said.