JR Luna, Rita Luna and this year’s Wheels to Shine Recipient Cheyanne Dominguez. Photo by Journey Zephyr-Wade Hak.
Concours Motors’ owner Gerardo “JR” Luna created “Wheels To Shine” in 2017. His team purchased a 2000 Volkswagen Golf and restored and rebuilt it to donate to a deserving person .
The selection committee sought an outstanding person who needed a little help to “shine,” and would use the car to give back to Ventura. Last year, the car was awarded to Marina Limon Porter, a local insurance agent and hard-working mother of one.
She is actively involved with Step Up Ventura—an organization that provides therapeutic services and access to childcare and preschool for children ages zero to five who are affected by or at risk of homelessness.
In Concours Motors’ second annual giveaway, Cheyanne Dominguez was awarded a Volkswagen Beetle 2000. At 20, Cheyanne has endured significant challenges, including losing her father, Oscar, to homicide. Currently, Cheyenne dedicates a tremendous amount of time to helping others—she is a leader at her church’s youth group, where she mentors middle school and high school-aged girls. She prepares meals and serves them to the homeless, at Catholic Charities on Ventura Avenue. This year, she helped raise enough money to fund a trip to Uganda, where her team facilitated seminars about reproductive health.
Financial restriction and a lack of reliable transportations hindered Cheyanne’s ability to further her education; having a car will ensure that Cheyenne can eventually transfer to a four-year university and pursue a career in government, to work toward causes including ending homelessness and support families affected by violence. JR Luna says, “If we can give a car away every year, and we’re in business for another 25 years, we can change 25 lives. That’s pretty impactful.”
