On Saturday, November 21, our family of (soon to be) four headed to beautiful Hendersonville, NC. Hendersonville is nestled in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, and is a favorite Western NC city to visit in the fall, and summer months. Hendersonville is full of beauty and charm, and friendly faces. There is a strong sense of community there, which was evident when we attended a special Car Seat Safety event at Four Seasons Ford. This event was held in conjunction with National Child Safety and Protection Month.

Four Seasons Ford is a family owned car dealership in Hendersonville, owned by the Gregg family. Four Seasons Ford is an automotive leader in their area- serving Hendersonville, as well as Asheville, NC, and Greenville, SC. The dealership has an incredible selection of new and certified pre-owned vehicles, and not one, but two state of the art service stations, with knowledgeable mechanics and customer service team members.

Four Seasons Ford specializes in:

New Ford Vehicle Sales

Ford Certified Pre-Owned Sales

Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales

Car Loans and Financing

Award-winning Service Department

Full Selection of Ford Parts and Accessories

Quick Lane for Routine Vehicle Maintenance

North Carolina Vehicle State Inspections

Not only does Four Seasons Ford provide the community with outstanding vehicle selection, repair, and customer service, they also care a great deal about giving back to their community, by offering a number of events through out the year. This past weekend, with the help of the Hendersonville Fire Department, Four Seasons Ford hosted a free event for the community, offering car seat safety checks. The event also included a visit with Kiss Country radio station, and a complimentary lunch.

Four Seasons Welcome Desk, located in the Lobby and Show Room

Large, open concept offers plenty of room for browsing, offers separate areas for waiting, and desks and offices for staff.

Sleek, modern dealership.

When our family arrived at Four Seasons Ford, we were blown away by their friendliness and hospitality. We were promptly greeted, and shown around, introduced to the owners and the staff, and offered complimentary beverages (including Starbucks coffee), which is available to dealership customers in the waiting room. There is also a second waiting room, which houses a play area for children.

Complimentary beverage station, offered to customers at Four Seasons Ford.

Starbucks Hot Cocoa and reading material on the Ford Shelby GT- a winning combination on a chilly day.

The Car Seat Safety Check is just one of the many ways that Four Seasons Ford shows how much they care about their community. They are also known for hosting Blood Drives, Customer Appreciation Events, Pet Donations, and they participate in Motorama, holiday parades, sponsor charity golf events, and more. The Car Seat Safety Check is something that is very important to Four Seasons Ford owners, The Gregg Family. The Greggs have a four month old granddaughter, whose parents also work for Four Seasons Ford, and graces the dealership with her presence daily. Safety of their precious cargo, as well as the safety of children in their community is near and dear to the the Greggs, which is why they feel that this safety event is so important. As I spoke with Owner, Roger Gregg, he made the point that 'many folks don't even know there's an improper installation or a problem with car seats, until it's too late.' No one wants to see that happen, which is why Four Seasons Ford works with the Hendersonville Fire Dept. to offer free car seat safety checks to members of  the community.

Members of the Hendersonville Fire Dept. await event attendees, offering to check that their children's car seats are properly installed.

The Hendersonville Fire Dept. brought along with them, three of their beautiful fire trucks, which event attendees were able to check out, up close. The firemen and women were wonderful- friendly, and appreciative of the thanks that community members kindly offered for their service.

Engine No. 1

Ladder 1

My son, B, loved seeing the fire trucks up close, as did the other children at the event.

Children were offered the chance to climb up into the cab of Ladder 1!

Families were able to peek into compartments of the fire trucks...

...and the children even got to sit in the driver's seat!

After community members had their car seats checked by the fire dept., they were encouraged to hang out at the dealership to browse new and pre-owned vehicles, check out the music booth from Kiss Country radio, and enjoy a complimentary lunch, provided by the Four Seasons Ford staff.

Gorgeous new and pre-owned Fords on the lot at Four Seasons Ford.

The Gregg Family at the grill, serving up hamburgers and hot dogs to event attendees and customers.

Our family, enjoying hamburgers and hot dogs in the customer lounge at Ford Seasons Ford, Hendersonville.

We were glad for the opportunity to attend this important safety event. Since we are expecting a new little one, it's not a bad idea for us to brush up on proper car seat installation, and safety regulations (for both children). Knowing that their seats are properly installed gives us peace of mind. The holidays are such a busy time of the year, and sometimes people's good sense for safety of others goes out the window, when they are rushing about. We feel good knowing that we have done our best to ensure the safety of our children, when riding in the car.

Here are some important tips for selecting the right car seat for your child. Knowing your state laws and regulations on children's weight and height will help you determine which type of seat is best, and safest for your precious child.

Child Safety Seat Checklist

*Get the right car seat.

*Make sure you’re using the right car seat for your child’s age, weight, and height. Read your car seat’s instructions for size limits.

*Register your seat right away. This is so the manufacturer can notify you in the event of a safety recall. Mail in the registration card that came with the seat, or go to www.safercar.gov/parents/Car-Seat-Recalls-Registration.htm.

*Read the instructions. The instructions for both your vehicle and the car seat will help you install the seat correctly.

*Install your car seat correctly.

Make sure your seat is:

In the back seat. All children under age 13 should ride in the back seat, so install car seats in the back seat whenever possible.

Never install a rear-facing car seat in front of an active passenger seat air bag; it can cause severe injury or death to rear-facing infants.

Facing the correct direction. Remember to keep your child rear-facing as long as allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Don’t hurry to turn your child forward-facing, as research shows that young child passengers are safest when riding rear-facing.

Reclined at the correct angle. Some seats have an adjustable recline feature. Check your car seat

manufacturer’s instructions to be sure your car seat is properly reclined.

Installed using either the seat belt or lower anchors. Remove twists or slack from the seat belt or lower anchor straps, and check your car seat manual to make sure you’ve threaded the seat belt or lower anchor straps through the correct path on the car seat. Note: some seats have two separate paths. If you use a seat belt, make sure the belt is “locked.” Some car seats have a “lock-off” feature that holds the seat belt in place. For a forward-facing car seat, connect the seat’s tether strap (located on the top of the seat) to your vehicle’s tether anchor and tighten.

Installed tightly. The car seat shouldn’t move side-to-side or front-to-back more than 1 inch at the belt path.

Buckle your child in the car seat, every time.

Remember that buckling your child in correctly is just as important as installing the seat correctly. 

Someone wants a ride in the Shelby GT!