They don't just sell cars; they help the needy and build their communities

Most American car dealers are well known in their local communities for the support they give to charities and worthy activities, often in wondrous and special ways.

Take Dick Olson of Bison Ford in Great Falls, Montana, who with his wife, Debbie, takes time each week to visit prisoners in the Cascade County Regional Detention Facility, passing out books and Bibles and helping the prisoners reconnect with their children.

Or take Mike Shaw of Mike Shaw Automotive Group in Colorado Springs, Colo., a 66-year-old Vietnam veteran, who sponsors an elegant annual military service-appreciation luncheon to honor serving U.S. troops for what they do in local communities.

Or take Alan Helfman of Helfman River Oaks Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Houston, who with his family raised more than $1 million to pay for a multisports field at a local private high school to honor the memory of his father. Said Helfman: "You can't go through life without helping people.''

In the following pages are profiles of 20 generous, caring dealers — truly Dealers of Distinction. By no means are they the only dealers of distinction in the United States, or even necessarily the best and most active when it comes to serving their communities.

But they are representative of the devotion and outstanding service demonstrated by thousands of their fellow dealers every day in communities across the nation. These 20 dealers stand for all dealers.