Dwayne Hawkins built one of the largest privately owned dealership groups in the nation, growing from a single Pontiac showroom in St. Petersburg in 1969 to 22 dealerships across Florida, Tennessee, and Ohio. But ask those who knew him what he built, and the answer was never really about cars. His philosophy was simple: show people the ropes, encourage them to innovate, and then step back. He was as well known for his generosity as for his business acumen, championing cancer research, funding college scholarships, and investing in every community where his company operated. For Dwayne, being charitable was never about leaving a legacy behind. As his family puts it, the legacy is the people he touched along the way.

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That conviction now reaches the students of Catholic Noles. We are grateful to announce that the Hawkins Family Foundation has awarded a generous $30,000 grant in support of the Catholic Student Union.

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Since Dwayne's passing on Christmas Eve 2020, his family has continued his commitment to generosity through the Hawkins Family Foundation and Crown Automotive Charities, with Kevin and Terry Hawkins serving on the Foundation's board and carrying the family's vision forward. Although the family’s roots run deepest in the Tampa Bay area, Crown Automotive Group also has a presence in Tallahassee, where Catholic Noles serves students each week. This grant extends the Hawkins family’s tradition of investing in the communities where they live and work, while helping form young adults who will carry that spirit of faith, leadership, and service into communities of their own. 

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“You can’t put a price on the importance of the partnerships you make and the impact it can make in your community,” Dwayne said in 2019, when the Tampa Bay Rays honored him at a game for his community impact. Those words speak directly to what this grant makes possible.

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 “As an FSU alumnus and ardent Seminoles supporter, Kevin is especially appreciative of Catholic Noles,” Jim Myers, Executive Director of the Hawkins Foundation said.  “This gift is a wonderful example of Kevin’s belief that the truest legacy is the people you touch along the way, a conviction Dwayne held so deeply and Kevin and Terry carry on today.  We are excited to be a part of the ministry’s growth and can’t wait to see what the students go on to become.”  

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The grant comes at a pivotal moment of growth for Catholic Noles, as the ministry welcomes, accompanies, and forms students from Florida State University, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee State College, and the surrounding college community. It will strengthen the ministry’s capacity to serve a growing student body and build the infrastructure needed for long-term sustainability.

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“The Hawkins Family Foundation’s generosity does more than support a budget. It supports students who are searching,” said Gloria Moorman, Director of Development. “It gives us the capacity to say yes: yes to the student who shows up for the first time, yes to the retreat that changes a life, yes to building something that will outlast all of us. We are deeply grateful for partners who believe in that work.”

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College is one of the most formative seasons in a young person’s life. Students are deciding who they are, what they believe, and how they will live. Catholic Noles meets them in that season with a spiritual home rooted in the sacraments, prayer, authentic friendship, service, and joyful Catholic community. For many, it becomes the place where they return to the sacraments, find trusted mentors, discern their vocation, and learn to live their faith with confidence and joy.

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“Catholic Noles helps students find faith, friendship, and a real sense of belonging during college,” said Kate Ruona, 2026-27 Student President Ambassador. “As our ministry continues to grow, support from the Hawkins Family Foundation helps us welcome more students and create more opportunities for them to be loved, encouraged, and invited deeper into life with Christ.”

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There is something fitting in the match. A man who believed in showing people the ropes and then stepping back would recognize what happens here every day: upperclassmen welcoming freshmen, missionaries walking alongside students, mentors forming the leaders who will one day form others. Dwayne Hawkins measured legacy in people. So do we.

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“We are honored by the trust Kevin, Terry, and the entire Hawkins family have placed in Catholic Noles,” said Fr. Tim Holeda, Rector of the Co-Cathedral of Saint Thomas More. “Their generosity reflects something deeply personal, a family carrying forward a vision that Dwayne lived every day. That kind of partnership means the world to us, and we are grateful that their investment will shape the lives of students for years to come.”

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As Catholic Noles prepares for a new academic year, this grant is a reminder that the mission of forming young adults in faith is shared by generous partners who believe in community, leadership, and lasting impact. We are grateful to the Hawkins Family Foundation for helping make that mission possible.