Picking up where it left off when the pandemic hit last spring, Teddy Cars, car dealers in Nissans and Volkswagens, located on Boston Road in the Edenwald section of the Bronx announced on Friday, Jan. 15, that it will be continuing its $20,000 commitment to music education in the Bronx.

A year ago, the Teddy Cars Bronx Music Grant Program promised $20,000 in funding to ten school and community music programs in the Bronx. After funding five, the “Music Matters’ program was put on hold because of the pandemic. Beginning this month, once again, representatives said the dealership will resume its monthly commitment to five additional, Bronx music programs.

Jamie Yellen, director of WHEDco’s after school program at the school, thanked Teddy Cars for its donation. “There are so many benefits to music instruction,” he said. “It helps develop language and reasoning, master memorization, improve hand-eye coordination, build self esteem, provide a sense of achievement, develop a child’s imagination, teach teamwork, and keep kids engaged in school.” Yelen added, “Plus, our kids really enjoy being able to connect with their peers during these difficult times.”

In February, the Music Matters funding will go towards a music program at the Bronx House Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Music School in Pelham Parkway.

Music grants have already been distributed to the Renaissance Youth Center located south of Claremont Village, PS 72 in Throgs Neck, The Bennington Band at P.S. 76 in Allerton, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center in Norwood, and Baychester Academy in Edenwald.

According to its representatives, Teddy Cars was founded on a vision of creating a world-class [car dealership] operation of high volume and high customer satisfaction. They said, owner, Ted Bessen, has pioneered one of the highest-volume dealers in the city’s northeast, and one of the top customer-satisfaction dealers in the State of New York, featuring an extensive line of new and pre-owned vehicles at Teddy Nissan and Teddy Volkswagen.