U-Pull-It Used Auto Parts is a business that’s been right beside Southside Building Center for a number of years. At Southside, we all count Bob Young as one of our good friends and neighbors. You may have seen the ads that he runs each year during the Super Bowl. Usually, the U-Pull-It ads* are zany and fun, with Bob singing off-key or hamming it up in the back of a junk car, gagged and tied up (presumably so he won’t sing.)
As you’ll see below, this year’s ad was different, honoring the memory of his son, Rob Young, and drawing attention to the charity that changed his son’s life, the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission. With this new ad, he hopes to inspire people’s generosity to the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission.
A few years ago, Bob’s son, Rob Young, dislocated his shoulder in a snowboarding accident. Unfortunately, his injuries continued with 8 more dislocations, and he endured 4 surgeries in 3.5 years. He became addicted to painkillers in his quest for full recovery.
Last summer, Rob checked into Alpha Acres, a recovery center on 110 acres of farmland operated by the Rescue Mission. Bob refers to what happened next for Rob as “a complete change.” He put on 30 pounds in two months and looked so much better that people couldn’t help saying, “Wow, dude, you are so different.”
Not long before he passed away, Rob invited his dad to go with him to Peace Haven Baptist Church, where men at Alpha Acres worship. During the service, Rob surprised his dad by being baptized by Luke Money, an ordained minister who is also the head of Alpha Acres.
Rob Young died on January 9th at Forsyth Medical Center at age 26. His father says “My heart is broken, but I am so on fire to do something for the Rescue Mission because without the Rescue Mission there is no farm, and without the farm my son does not get saved. What an awesome gift, to know that he made it to heaven. That is the only way I can keep going.”
A representative with the Rescue Mission, Greg Cooney said “I believe that this is the first time that we have had an ad like this in the Super Bowl. We don’t receive any funding from the government. All the funding we receive is through individual donations and churches that donate. We also have a thrift store where we sell donated items to generate funding for the ministry.
We’d like to encourage you to consider making a donation to the Winston Salem Rescue Mission. Do it in memory of Rob, but also help other men like him find lasting peace and healing.
*Quotes and story partially from http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_8878bbd7-a804-548c-ba2f-c1c115cc9d2f.html