RICHMOND, Va. – Mustang and Ford clubs are well-known in the hobby for their charity work and generous support for so many great causes. One such group we’ve often highlighted on FordPerformance.com -- the Victory 7 Mustang Club based in Richmond, Virginia -- has won regular local recognition and even national awards for community service for years now. If there’s one thing certain about Thomas Victory, it’s that he’s been a tireless promoter for both his club and the Ford Mustang while serving his community at the same time.
The Victory 7 Mustang Club’s constant acts of kindness throughout the Richmond area have kept them in the spotlight of late – from supporting a local Health Foundation to deliver meals three days a week for the elderly and needy families in four surrounding counties, to organizing drive-by parades for young graduates plus donating model cars to kids at a local emergency shelter. Over the holidays, more than 500 Thanksgiving dinners were delivered to the underserved community in Richmond, and the club set up four Christmas parades for children in daycare and homeless centers and delivered more than 1,500 toys to needy kids.
It's constant work, but this club still finds time to represent Ford and their favorite vehicle – the Mustang – at high-visibility events in and around Richmond, such as the annual Virginia International Auto Show at the Richmond Convention Center. Not only does the club take over the downtown center’s lobby with a colorful Mustang club display of owner cars as people come in and out of the auto show, but Thomas uses the event to collect toys for the local Children’s Hospital. His favorite donation? While it’s Hotwheels/Matchbox-sized 1/64-scale Mustang diecast cars, of course! Thomas says the hospital is seeing an average of 700 children per month, so the need is great.
This year the club had some 15 Mustangs in the Auto Show’s lobby display – and four Victory 7 club members took home trophies for their spectacular rides. If you have toy cars you can donate to the cause, email Thomas Victory at tjvictory7@gmail.com to see how you can help his club make Mustang magic happen for the youth of his community. This club is real-world proof that while great Fords are what bring us together, it’s great people who drive the Ford club hobby. Ford Performance salutes the Victory 7 Mustang Club and all they do to make a difference!
FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS COURTESY THOMAS VICTORY / VICTORY 7 MUSTANG CLUB