Bock Auto Gives To Kids And Local Businesses

Erick Bock and his wife, Meghan, are coming up with creative ways to give back to their community at a time when help is needed the most. The pair, owners of the family-operated Bock Auto full-service repair shop on Montauk Highway in Amagansett, are running different daily contests for kids in surrounding townships.

Past contests include making blanket forts, drawing cars and motorcycles, and building LEGO masterpieces.

“The word ‘amazing,’ I think, describes our community very accurately,” Erick Bock said in a video posted on Bock Auto’s Facebook page. “This is a community that my family is proud to call home for the last 13 generations. This community has always come together to help one another during their time of need.”

In a time where local businesses have needed residents most, the Bock family has risen to the occasion to aid both.

“We were initially trying to find something to help the small businesses in the community,” Bock said. “Obviously, everybody’s been affected by this, whether it be the restaurants or the stores, everybody’s being hit. So, we thought, ‘How can we buy from these small businesses to help?’”

The most recent contest asked kids to create videos thanking those fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. For every one that submitted a video, Bock Auto donated a pizza from Pepperoni’s in East Hampton, which was writing the children’s names on the box.

“We received some really good videos from the kids,” Bock said. “Some of them make you tear up a little, and cry a little bit. Others are, you know, just funny. These kids do a great job.”

Meghan Bock can be seen announcing the rules in the company’s daily video posts, bringing a much-needed enthusiastic and playful energy to an otherwise dreary situation. Having three children of their own — Tucker, Kix, and Tess — the Bock family knows how important it is to keep spirits up.

“We thought, ‘Are the kids bored while stuck home? Does the family like contests?’” Erick Bock said. “We wanted to help provide some activities that can be done at home together as a family — something to help keep them occupied, give them some direction, and something to focus on for a little while and keep their minds off of not being in school and all that.”

The winner of each contest, following an announcement the day prior, is made public at 10 AM each morning. The winners this time around receive a $25 gift card, and all runners-up are rewarded with a free small ice cream cone from John’s Drive-In in Montauk.

Bock Auto is also still open for business. If you visit the company Facebook page, 10 restaurants the family visits in East Hampton are listed. If a resident purchases a meal from one and brings in his or her receipt, that amount spent will be deducted from his or her next auto service.

To learn about upcoming contests, visit www.facebook.com/bockauto. To reach Bock Auto or learn more about the company, call 631-267-5631 or visit www.bockauto.com.