News release:

(COLUMBUS, Neb.) – Columbus Community Hospital athletic trainers have new wheels thanks to a partnership with Ernst Auto Group.

A Toyota Tacoma truck was given to the hospital’s sports medicine program by the local car dealership. The vehicle will be used to take athletic equipment to sporting events. The CCH athletic trainers work at Columbus High School, Lakeview High School, Scotus Central Catholic and Central Community College-Columbus.

“When we were presented with the idea of providing a vehicle for the hospital to transport athletic trainers and supplies to sporting events, it was an easy decision to make. At Ernst Auto Group, we get excited about community involvement, and that is exactly what the hospital is doing by serving over 1,600 local athletes at more than 500 local athletic events. We felt it would be fitting to provide a new Toyota Tacoma truck as Toyota’s campaign at the time was ‘People First.’ We are excited to be a part of Columbus Community Hospital’s athletic trainer program and look forward to a long relationship with them,” said Ryan Davis, executive manager at Ernst Auto Group.

Rob Marshall, the director of athletic training at CCH, said the new truck will be useful to haul equipment to away games and events. He calls the partnership a great deal for the hospital and is proof of the support Ernst and Columbus has for sports medicine.

The truck has been wrapped with a Columbus Community Hospital decal. It has yet to be used because sport events have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Marshall expects to use it when high school and college sports start-up again.

Previously, athletic trainers were mostly using their own vehicles and a company-provided sedan to transport equipment. As the sports medicine program grew, there was a need for a larger vehicle.

Having the truck will be a benefit to the program.

“It will be safer for the athletic trainers during the winter months compared to the small sedan they were using previously, and the extra storage space will allow them to more efficiently transport necessary equipment and perhaps even bring extra supplies that might not have been feasible before,” said Dr. Dustin Volkmer, a physician with Columbus Orthopedic & Sports Medicine. “We greatly appreciate the support Ernst has provided to not only our sports medicine team and CCH, but also the Columbus community in general.”