Marklund now in drivers' seat

That 1990 Honda Civic depositing oil on your driveway could do Marklund some good.

The not-for-profit agency that helps people with developmental disabilities has joined the list of charities accepting donations of used motor vehicles.

Cars, boats, recreational vehicles, airplanes, golf carts, lawn mowers -- running or not -- will be fixed up and resold, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to Marklund and the rest to TNEGA Inc., a Melrose Park firm that handles repairs and resales for charitable groups.

Besides money, it's another way for Marklund, founded in 1954, to publicize the work it does with people with disabilities. Marklund has homes in Mill Creek near Geneva and in Bloomingdale, for people with profound disabilities.

The Mill Creek campus has six 16-bed homes for adults, as well as an educational and training center.

In Bloomingdale, the Marklund Philip Center for Children encompasses the Children's Home, a pediatric nursing facility for infants, children and medically fragile adults; the Day School, an education program for children ages 3 to 21, and Marklund's Respite program.

"We hope that a lot of people take advantage of this opportunity," said Aimee Sansone, development associate for Marklund.

Vehicle donors who wish to help may claim a tax deduction for their donation. For details, call Sansone at (630) 593-5484 and Marklund will arrange for the vehicle to be driven or towed away.

TNEGA Inc. will then clean and repair the vehicles, and replace lost keys and vehicle titles.

Earlier this year, Jim Armbruster, vice chairman of Marklund's board of directors, raised $137,000 for the organization by walking from Aurora to San Francisco.