Express Oil Change & Service Center's Change-A-Life Campaign to Benefit Children's of Alabama

Online, August 24, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Can getting an oil change help cure childhood cancer? Throughout September, with the help of Express Oil Change and Service Center, it can.

Starting Sept. 1, Express Oil Change will donate $1 to Children's of Alabama for every oil change performed in one of their 35 participating Birmingham-area locations. All proceeds will benefit The Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children's of Alabama.

The organization is hosting kick-off parties at the McCalla, Valleydale, Mountain Brook, Alabaster, Trussville (Main Street) and Eastwood locations on Sept. 1. The celebration includes giveaways, tents, food, drinks and more to promote the company's Change-A-Life campaign.

"Express Oil Change wanted to give back and make a difference in our local community, so we approached Children's five years ago with this idea," said Garland Quinn, Associate Marketing Manager at Express Oil Change. "Since then, we have donated more than $160,000 to fund the art therapy program, as well as cancer research."

The art therapy program is meant to address not only the medicinal needs of patients, but the emotional ones too.

"The therapy is more than just art to the children," said Sarah Margaret Wade, associate licensed counselor and art therapist. "It gives our patients a time to have fun, make a mess and is a creative way to ultimately express how they are feeling. Art can give them more control over their environment."

Fall is an ideal time to perform routine maintenance on cars, as the hot summer conditions take a toll on most vehicles. Excessive heat is one of the main reasons for reduced battery life, according to the Car Care Council. Annual vehicle inspections may help drivers avoid costly repairs such as this. Professionals at Express Oil Change recommend an oil change every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first, as one of the most important preventative maintenance services which can be performed on a car.

Express Oil Change offers a full service, 10-minute oil change. Customers do not need an appointment and can wait in their vehicles while their cars are being serviced. The maintenance covers replacement of the oil and oil filter, re-filling of fluids and a 20-point safety check of the vehicle.

More information and location addresses are available at http://www.expressoil.com/ and www.childrensal.org, or by contacting Garland Quinn at [email protected].

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About Express Oil Change and Service Center
Express Oil Change and Service Center is one the leading automotive service providers in the South, with more than 180 locations across 12 states. Throughout its 31-year history, its oil change process has been refined to give customers the quickest oil change around, while still providing the highest quality service possible and premium vehicle maintenance checks. Each Express Oil Change and Service Center houses a full-service automotive mechanical department staffed by experienced technicians. ASE-certified technicians provide total car care through the use of state-of-the-art equipment and premium parts. The company promises quality work, friendliness and integrity in everything it does.

About Children's of Alabama
Children's of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children across the state and throughout the southeastern U.S. since 1911. For the past three years, Children's has been ranked among the best children's hospital programs in the nation by US News & World Report. Last year, patients made more than 634,000 outpatient and nearly 14,000 inpatient visits to Children's from every county in Alabama and from 47 other states. With more than 2 million square feet, it is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. Children's offers inpatient and outpatient services across its Russell Campus on Birmingham's historic Southside with additional outpatient surgery and diagnostic imaging services provided at Children's South and Children's on 3rd. Primary care is provided at more than a dozen offices in communities across central and north Alabama. The Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children is the only hospital in Alabama dedicated solely to the care and treatment of children and is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet-designated hospital for excellence in nursing care. It is a private, not-for-profit hospital that serves as the primary site of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, research and residency programs. More information is available at www.childrensal.org