NOTE: As of Feb. 29, 2024, Carolina Youth Development Center (CYDC) has rebranded to Landmarks for Families. Our nonprofit, community programs and residential services remain committed to cultivating thriving youth and families in this new chapter.
When CYDC resident Daniel Holmes was invited to do routine maintenance work on a 1995 BMW 525 Wednesday in the Cummins Auto Lab, he thought it was just the latest addition to the procession of older cars that have been donated as part of the CYDC Motorsports community partnership. The 20-year old has been employed with Cummins Turbo Technologies since January 22 as an assembler of turbo chargers, and has often been asked to take a leadership role in the very same STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) mentorship project that discovered his talents back when Connor McIntyre and Darren Reed of Cummins, Inc. helped launch it in 2014.
But when Daniel finished changing the oil, he got the surprise of a lifetime when CYDC volunteer Tibur Pecsuk of Exclusively Bimmers handed him the keys and informed him that the car was his to keep. The car was donated by Exclusively Bimmers customer Lynn Hopkins. Hopkins had been looking to sell the BMW, but when Pecsuk let her know about Daniel and his story, she eventually decided to donate it for Daniel, who can use it as transportation to and from his job.
Daniel’s reaction to the news is captured in this YouTube video.
