The fixed ops community is rallying around one of its own.
Shawn Butler, fixed operations manager at Bristol Honda, Johnson City Acura and Johnson City Mazda in Tennessee and friend to many, is battling cancer. A fundraising campaign has been established to help defray expenses not covered by Butler’s medical insurance.
Butler wasin Automotive News‘ Fixed Ops Journal as he tackled turning around the service department at Bristol Honda in Bristol, Tenn.
His friends at the weekly Zoom show, of which Butler was a founding member, took to LinkedIn to voice their support and encourage people to donate.
“He’s our guy. He’s a member of the family and damn if we aren’t going to support him to win because as we say on the show, winning is important,” wrote show co-host Joe Chambers.
“No win has ever been more important for Shawn Butler. He needs all of the support he can get so step up and help the guy that has helped so many other throughout his career.”
Ted Ings, who has battled leukemia for years, also wrote a post on LinkedIn with a link to the fundraising page. He said fighting cancer can sometimes be a lonely battle. Ings said he told Butler to keep the faith.
“New treatments are coming every day, every week,” said Ings, who is benefiting from a new drug that might cure him in two years. “There is hope. We just have to rally around Shawn. He can beat this battle.”
Butler responded to Chambers’ post to thank him and the others reaching out with support.
“I have been blessed to be a founding member of SDL and have had great fortune to be a part of a team that knows no boundaries, has no filter and is never politically correct yet is an assembly of over a thousand years of experience and expertise that will tackle any issue head on,” he wrote. “This issue is no different. We are going to turn this cancer into the poster child of getting an ass whipping. Gloves come off today after meeting the oncologist to discuss treatment plans. One guess as to who will take the most aggressive route possible?
“Thank you each and everyone of you who offer spiritual, mental, physical and financial support. I really suck when it comes to asking for or accepting help in my personal life. So this is appreciated Joe Chambers more than you know.”