Runde Auto Chat

It's about that time of year again. Decorated eggs, fun family games and the 2nd largest quantity of candy kids will ever get in one day. And while there are many parents out there who go all out and spare no expense on Easter baskets for their children during the holiday weekend, there are also kids locally who don't exactly have equally warm-hearted Easter experiences. That's where Chuck 'N' Jo's comes in to save the [holi]day!

Last year, Chuck 'N' Jo's donated over 800 baskets to Children’s Hospitals and local non-for-profit groups that help children, like the Maria House and St. Marks. This year marks their 4th year of the Easter Baskets of Love and it is bigger and better than ever before! They will have over 1200 Easter baskets that will be delivered to kids and senior citizens this Easter. And they're distributing the baskets to a greater number of charitable places compared to last year!

We stopped by Chuck 'N' Jo's today to visit Connie Jo (one of the founders of this noble event) to see the baskets and talk with Connie about the event a little more. Looking at a collection of the baskets felt like looking into the future a bit. There were so many of them and I began to get a mental glimpse of the happiness that they were going to bring local kids and seniors in just a week's time.

So Connie, there sure are a LOT of baskets here, how do you go about collecting all of the goods that go into the baskets?
All year long people are bringing in these baskets to help out. They bring in stuffed animals, toys... no candy, though, until it's getting near Easter time so it won’t spoil.

I hear that you are donating to more retirement homes this year?
We had a lot of requests last year from retirement homes so we decided to reach out a bit more this year. Last year we donated to Stonehill Care Center. This year we are donating to Stone Hill, Luther Manor, Dubuque Nursing and Rehab and Sunnycrest Manor.We are taking 267 of our specialized baskets to the retirement homes. They have lotions, soaps, crackers, little scrubbies and things like that in them.

How many Volunteers do you have this year?
We have 20 this year. Three up from last year.

How far out do you donate?
We cover three county Head Start programs in Iowa and we are doing the East Dubuque Head Start program as well.

How do you deliver these baskets?
We pack them up in a van and take them to the Community Center where they will be distributed.

We could lend you the Runde Community Support Van for this in the future. Its purpose is to help out non-profit organizations and charitable causes, just like this one!
I didn't know about that! That would be a great!

Everything is donated?
Yes, everything is donated and/or sponsored. Some of our donations are stuffed animals, toys, candy, etc. for the baskets. Other sponsors will give us money then we will go out on shopping missions to get items needed for the baskets as we see fit.

[Connie shared with us a list of over 20 companies and individuals that helped sponsor and donate to Easter Baskets of Love]

When do you start delivering the baskets?
Monday the 29th is our big day. We will be delivering everything then. And one of our helpers, Jenny, will be going to Iowa City give Baskets to the Iowa Children's Hospital.

How many are going to the children's hospital?
At least 150 for sure.

How many baskets do you have so far?
Right now we have 1,047 baskets made and on Saturday afternoon we will be making 200 more making it close to 1,250 baskets for the year.

That’s great! Over 400 more from last year!
Yes it is really great, it’s getting bigger every year!

Runde's would like to thank Chuck 'N' Jo's for their great contribution to the community, it is very exciting and encouraging to have people in the community that are this selfless. They are doing a great deed for these kids and I hope that it will keep growing. From the looks of things, people are starting to become more aware of the program. If you would like to donate to Easter Baskets of Love, you can stop by their location at 890 Iowa St. in Dubuque, IA and ask for Connie.

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A BIG surprise was in store for me as I walked out to the showroom floor the other day. A beautiful Mastiff was sitting with his owner, Jessie Coulson, who was in for some service on his Colorado.

Wow Jessie, that is a huge dog! How old is he?
He's 22 months old. He weighs close to 180lbs currently, I expect him to grow to around 200lbs.

He's a Mastiff right? Pretty nice dogs from what I hear.
They are called "Gentle Giants" and that is very true of Magnum. One time our family went on a vacation and Magnum was distressed because all of his family was gone for a few days. He's very close to the family.

What does he eat?
His favorite food is string cheese. They grow up so fast so it's good to get them cheese for calcium. He eats close to 60lbs of food a month which isn't bad for an active dog but it's quite a bit for Magnum since he is an inside dog.

Does he always ride around with you?
Yeah, we take him in our Colorado which is almost to small for him anymore. Cars are constantly slowing down to take a look at him... there was almost an accident the other day because of a distracted driver!

Did you get your Colorado from Runde's?
Yes we did, a time ago from the salesman Dave Frazier.

How do you like your experiences with Runde's? Everything was, and still is, great. From buying to service, I've never had any problems, I would recommend Runde's to anyone. We are looking to upgrade soon, so while we were waiting we took a look at your inventory.

Great, gotta get a vehicle that can comfortably fit Magnum and the family, eh?
Yeah, we have kids and pets and it's just about time to upgrade to something bigger.

I'm sure you'll find something great! It was a pleasure to meet you and Magnum today, looks like your truck is all ready for you.

Thank you!

You always have a large selection, and your website clearly shows entire inventory from all the locations on one site. We spoke with "Neal" in sales he is very kind and informative. Thank you.

Pamela Carrillo -- Manchester, IA

I`ve purchased several vehicles in the past from this dealer and have been very satisfied.

Bob Roman -- Annawan, IL

We are very very pleased with our 2009 Traverse. It is by far one of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever driven. We have been on 3 road trips and love how it handles the road!! Sure hope this Traverse lasts us a long time! We love it!!!! Thank you for making it possible when we came to see you a year ago!! I also want you to know how impressed we are with Runde's! Awesome people and awesome service! Keep it up! Take care!

Paul and Ellen S. of Dubuque, IA

The Runde Auto Group will NEVER have trouble successfully staying in business. I can, additionally, promise you this: From this point forward, if anyone asks me for my opinion as to where they should look regarding their next auto purchase, I will, without hesitation proudly and with clear conscience say, "Go talk to Wayne Konrardy at Runde's". And please understand, that I travel weekly to race tracks throughout Minnesota filled with racers who are hauling their motorcycles over extended distances. They ALWAYS need new trucks for hauling . . . and likewise, always need cars for regular travel. I trust that you understand that based solely upon Wayne's treatment of my family and I, I can tell you that where ever I go . . . The Runde Auto Group will ALWAYS have a 'positive referring voice' ready for whomever asks! CLICK HERE to continue.

Dan B. of Winona, MN

Looking to get a great gas mileage car without putting a dent in your style or wallet? You have probably considered the Honda Fit or the Toyota Yaris, but if you wait for the Ford Fiesta you will not be disappointed.

I was very skeptical of the car at first. I 6'1 with a big build and found these little gas-mileage cars "cramping" my style. But I went to the Chicago Auto Show and experienced the Fiesta first hand and I must say I'm impressed. The car, in my opinion, looks fantastic from the outside but what really took my breath away was the interior - QUALITY. Seriously, for a vehicle that starts around $13.5k and ends well under $20k it felt like $30k+ luxury car. And the best part? I wasn't cramped!

I found it hard to find any flaws with this car, I'm very excited to get my hands on it and if you are one of those shopping for a "gas-mileage car" I urge you to just try this out before making a final decision, I know you will be as impressed as I was.

Go ahead and Google it yourself and look at all the comments, reviews and previews of the Fiesta - you'll find nothing but praise and excitement for it! Here's a quick video I grabbed while I was at the show:

Some Runde's fans can't resist a chance to be on our blog, like these great folks here. I was out on the lot taking photos of vehicles last week on a nice sunny day when these customers drove up to me and said, " Hey, take a picture of me and my girlfriend." So I did. It turned out to be a good photo so voila - here you go. The people explained that they were looking for a used diesel truck for their son -- they definitely came to the right place for a diesel. So if you know these folks, give them a call and tell them that you saw their photogenic smiles on the Runde Blog.