Kurt Chase of Automotive Edge at it Again With K&N Teacher of The Month Award

Ms. DeFord, a special education assistant, was left a single mom after her husband passed and she is now supporting two children, with another baby boy due in March, on her own

Kurt Chase, host of the Dallas/Fort Worth based radio program The Automotive Edge, feels a calling to give back to the local community. For years Kurt made a comfortable living working in and running new car dealerships across the great state of Texas. The long hours and stress of running a car dealership began to eat away at Kurt and finally he decided that no amount of money was worth missing out on his kids’ childhood. Kurt began to provide seminars to the car buying public to help them save money on both automotive purchases and service. This led to the formation of The Automotive Edge radio show and his associated philanthropic causes.

One such charitable cause is the K&N air filters sponsored Teacher of the Month award. Every month listeners email Kurt to nominate a deserving teacher and explain why this teacher stands out from others. With the recognition as K&N Filters Teacher of the Month award comes an automotive makeover complete with K&N air filter, oil filter and cabin air filter. In addition to the automotive makeover, the winning teacher receives money and/or gift certificates to help with classroom expenses.

Ms. Crystal DeFord works as a Paraprofessional (assistant) in the special education program at Bear Creek Elementary in the Fort Worth suburb of Euless, Texas. Ms. DeFord lost her husband Andrew this past October when a car pulled out in front of his motorcycle. Ms. DeFord was left a single mom supporting two children, with another boy due in March. Funeral expenses, hospital bills, and of course all the usual living expenses have left Ms. DeFord with a heavy load upon her shoulders. But in spite of all she has been through, her co-worker Brittany Rhea says “She still comes to work with a big smile on her face and puts on a big smile on all of our kids’ faces.” Brittany Rhea continued to say “She is a role model to all and she always pushes all of us to keep going even if things get difficult.”

Unfortunately the public education system lacks the funds to provide many classroom necessities. This leaves teachers to spend their own money, fund raise, or ask for donations to meet the educational needs of their students. Items like Velcro, printer cartridges, Post-It Notes, and dry erase markers are like gold to public school teachers. As Ms. DeFord works in a special education classroom snacks are a necessity and the teachers must personally buy them on a weekly basis. Ms. DeFord was awarded with monetary contributions, as well as a gift card to Walmart, to help offset the costs of teaching the upcoming generation.

K&N is proud to be a sponsor of The Automotive Edge radio show and the Teacher of the Month award. Kurt Chase is making a difference in the Dallas Fort Worth area by helping hundreds of people to save thousands of dollars as well as giving back to the community that has made him what he is today.