Todd Ingersoll, president of Ingersoll Automotive, visited Newtown High School on Wednesday, November 5, to donate ten new laptops to the school.

The visit was one in a number of others in the effort to deliver technology to students who otherwise would not have access to computers at home. This was the third annual donation to NHS and other schools in the local area.

With the ten new laptops, Ingersoll Automotive of Danbury has donated 30 laptops in the last three years to NHS.

The donations started three years ago when Ingersoll Automotive donated two laptops to a post-prom party at Bethel High School. At the party, the student who won the laptop had a full scholarship to West Point and already had a computer. That student gave the new laptop to a friend who did not have one at home. The gift changed that child’s life. The story inspired Mr Ingersoll, who has three children of his own, to make technology donations to the schools.

“The idea behind the donations is to help the kids who don’t have technology at home,” Mr Ingersoll said, in a release. “You wouldn’t believe the letters we’ve received. Students are now able to play sports, make the honor roll, and be home for younger siblings after school. Technology is a tool that these children need to keep up with the ever-changing world we live in.”

When Ingersoll Automotive is done making their rounds this year to local schools, there will be 200 laptops in the hands of kids who need them, according to the release.

“The idea is simple,” said Mr Ingersoll. “When we donate the laptops, we ask that the school loan them out to the students who need them for the year. After that, they can reassign them the next year if someone else is in need. If they break, we’ll replace them. It’s simple, but it can make a big difference in the life of a child.”

Ingersoll Automotive comprises three retail facilities — Ingersoll Auto of Danbury, Buick GMC of Watertown, and Ingersoll Auto of Pawling. As they continue to grow in size, they also continue to grow in areas of sponsorships and donations to the community.

“We’ve ordered more laptops this year so that we can increase the number of schools we donate to,” Mr Ingersoll said. “We’ll be delivering to three additional schools this year for a total of eight schools.

“I like to live by the saying to whom much has been given, much is expected. I’m blessed to work and live in a great community filled with wonderful, caring people, and this is just another way we can give back.”

Each of the new laptops are decorated with an Ingersoll Automotive logo and a design that includes inspiring phrases, like “make a difference,” “keep up the good work,” and “be kind.”