The former Fox 8 reporter makes time for her family while covering college basketball and football games across the nation.
The Georgia Bulldogs-Florida Gators football game was covered by the sideline reporter for SEC on CBS Sports the day prior, but her travel from Jacksonville to New York City has been canceled. She needs to travel two hours to Orlando in order to board a flight.
The former host of Fox 8’s high school football wrap-up program Friday Night Touchdown says, “It comes with the territory.
I genuinely believe that I have the best job in the entire world. The travel, though, if there is a drawback to covering sports. It’s also difficult to go to the SEC.
The first all-female sports discussion program on network television, We Need To Talk, will be hosted by LaForce once she reaches New York. Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, who has served as a role model for LaForce her whole life, is one of the twelve all-star contributors.
Lisa could handle anything, claims LaForce.
She was a fiercely competitive athlete in addition to being a poised, attractive, and stunning strong, independent woman.
The former student of Ohio University who wrote her undergraduate thesis on the objectification of women in athletics now has the opportunity to act as a role model in a similar manner. Her partner is Verne.
Lundquist and Gary Danielson serve in the same capacities throughout the network’s coverage of NCAA basketball as well as the No. 1 college football game of the week on CBS.
“She argues that it’s crucial for young women to watch other women succeed and shatter stereotypes rather than just hearing that they can do it. ” I’ve always been motivated to do things by someone who came before me.
The former basketball star from Vermilion High School frequently visits Cleveland. But things weren’t always like this. When she was employed by Fox 8 in 2011, she first met sidearm bullpen pitcher Joe Smith of the Cleveland Indians. But by the time they got married in 2015, he was pitching for the Los Angeles Angels and she was working at CBS.
Smith later returned to the Tribe this summer after being dealt from the Toronto Blue Jays. LaForce received the call while shopping at a Whole Foods in New York.
“I basically ran around like crazy and screamed at the top of my lungs,” claims LaForce.
Joe was in tears. It was a very exciting time.
The deal was more than just a homecoming; it also put Smith’s Huntington’s disease-stricken mother Lee within a few hours of the pair. The pair founded the HelpCureHD organization to raise funds and host events to increase awareness of the illness, which Smith has a 50/50 chance of inheriting.
LaForce is still recognized by the majority of Clevelanders as the Halleen Kia commercial girl. According to LaForce, the 30-second commercials are the only source of fan gossip, unwelcome fashion critiques, and grocery store selfies.
“Because they watch the Big Ten, Clevelanders don’t really watch the SEC. So, laughs LaForce, “everyone thinks I quit my job, married a pro baseball player, and now I simply do Halleen Kia commercials.” But at least Nancy LaForce Gilbert, my grandmother, enjoys discussing it with her friends.
In This Article...
Who are the men in the Halleen Kia advertisement?
The Halleen brothers are responsible for one of the largest developments on the North Olmsted Automile. To create a brand-new Kia Image dealership, the brothers are remodeling an existing Chevrolet store.
The decision is advantageous for the dealership and the brand, which just passed Toyota for fourth place in Northeast Ohio’s unit sales rankings. In Northeast Ohio, Kia outsells Hyundai, its sister brand. One of the few places where this happens is here.
According to Mark Halleen, vice president of the dealership, “We are one of the original Kia dealers in Northeast Ohio.”
We made the decision to transform the existing store into a brand-new Kia facility in light of Kia’s expansion.
The dealership’s Kia sales are growing faster than the local sales of the brand, which have increased by more than 70%.
The construction process consists of three stages. The brand-new showroom and faade are the first stage, which will be finished by September 1.
“According to Mark, the general offices will come next, then the parts and service departments.
The dealership is open for business despite all of the renovation, and June was one of its finest months ever.
We have a ton of space here, so that explains it. To make room for the new structure, we merely need to reposition a few employees, Mark added.
The current Halleen Kia certified pre-owned facility was the original facility, which located a little more than 1,000 feet distant on the north side of Lorain.
“Mark said, “And in terms of Certified Pre-owned sales in the first quarter, we were the top dealer in Kia’s central region.
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From Fuccillo Kia, who is Caroline?
Prior to leaving her position in November 2017, Caroline Renfro sold vehicles for Fuccillo Kia for eight years through radio ads, TV commercials, and direct mail. She has since returned to the company in 2019.
Until she left her position in November 2017, Caroline Renfro promoted automobiles for Fuccillo Kia in TV ads, radio spots, and through the mailing of flyers. She has since rejoined the team.
The bulky, folded Fuccillo Kia flyers started showing up in mailboxes in Southwest Florida on Thursday. To use a cliche, unfolding it disclosed some news that was “big.”
“Caroline’s returned! It’s time to pack, then! “The advertisement made reference to a cruise deal in June.
Friday at noon, business owner Billy Fuccillo arrived at the Cape Coral location at 404 NE Pine Island Road.
Caroline Renfro left Fuccillo Kia for what reasons?
The two made Renfro’s return official on Saturday with an all-day “Welcome Back party” with food and live jazz music that attracted hundreds to the Cape Coral shop.
Before the two showed in, dozens of salespeople in red polo shirts circulated the tables for several hours.
For eight years, Renfro was Fuccillo’s pitch partner, helping to record commercials, sell automobiles, and eventually emerge as one of the brand’s faces. But she left in the latter part of 2017.
The parting was cordial yet a little hasty. Initially, Fuccillo claimed Renfro went for Spain in order to join a nun in Virginia, but subsequently he claimed he was unaware of her reasons for leaving. The reason Renfro departed the country, she claimed on Saturday, was to “go out and kind of go places that I hadn’t been.
While she was away, the two kept in touch by texting each other and speaking once a month, according to Fuccillo. Renfro later returned to the United States where she spent time with her folks hiking in western North Carolina.
I returned to Spain on my own, but once he learned that I had done so, we began to discuss making some advertisements in what I initially took to be lighthearted conversation, Renfro recalled.
But after that, he said, “No, let’s do it.”
Immediately after Renfro had left, Fuccillo conducted a nationwide hunt for the “next Caroline,” a model for his ads. Soon, Portland, Oregon-based model and TV newscaster McKinzie Roth was chosen. Roth will now serve as a sales representative for a Nissan dealership run by Fuccillo’s son in both Tampa and Jacksonville.
The seasoned team wasted no time in beginning the Saturday’s batch of advertising. As soon as they entered the building, a group of about a dozen people flanked them in an effort to gain a live view of the upcoming advertisement.
A fan of the commercials named Kay Rihn traveled from Englewood to Cape Coral to speak with Fuccillo. After Renfro left, Rihn called the dealership incensed more than a year ago.
However, when she discovered Caroline had departed on her own initiative and subsequently learned she would be returning, she made the hour-long drive to apologize to Fuccillo in person.
In Port Charlotte, Fuccillo and Renfro intend to host a similar “Welcome back event” on Sunday. At this event, they will welcome attendees and take additional live advertisements.
“There’s no pretend (with Caroline). You will receive what you see, and receive that which you see. She is able to connect with people, just like I can, Fuccillo remarked. We sort of fit the same mold. We just disagree on one thing: I prefer roses and mints on my pillow at night, whereas she is content to sleep in a tent in the mountains. The only aspect of us that differs is that.
But because we’re just average folks, we can relate to people because we’re so people-oriented.
Currently, what is Caroline Renfro doing?
A lot of people have noted that Caroline is no longer flanking “Huge.” What has become of her?
What transpired with Caroline in the Kia advertisements? In the new ads, she has been replaced.
A: It’s amazing that Caroline’s absence from the local Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral television advertising was apparent this month. That demonstrates how commonplace these locations have grown in Southwest Florida, especially with dealership owner Billy Fuccillo’s confrontational catchphrase, “It’s HUGE!”
Because they are so prevalent, Caroline, his marketing assistant, and Fuccillo are undoubtedly huge here. springing out on slick posters in mailboxes, roaring from every radio station, disrupting every TV channel, and spreading across the Naples Daily News. They cannot be overlooked.
Of course, this is the reason another blonde named Abby took Caroline’s place in this month’s advertising when she was absent.
“For two weeks, Caroline was on vacation. She wasn’t in the advertising because of this “Fuccillo stated over the phone from Syracuse, New York, the headquarters of his enormous auto company.
So, when she was away, the girl who fills in on our infomercials covered for her.
Unlike other lovely faces, Caroline Renfro is unique. She is a North Carolina native who works as a professional spokesperson. She has also promoted the Charlotte Bobcats basketball club and a supermarket chain that is located close to Charlotte. After seeing her in advertising for a Kia dealership in the Carolinas, Fuccillo recruited her.
Currently, Fuccillo and Renfro record roughly 35 TV ads per month. Since it opened in December 2010, these pitches have assisted the Cape Coral dealership in selling 7,500 to 8,000 vehicles annually, making it the top Kia dealer in the country, according to Fuccillo.
For August, the duo already had commercials taped. So, Caroline will return to broadcasting this week, according to Fuccillo.
Caroline may be noteworthy, but compared to Fuccillo’s King Kong persona, she is just second best. Imagine the reaction Fuccillo encounters as a result when he is out and about in Southwest Florida. More people will likely recognize him by his voice than by his face.
“I spend the entire night signing autographs wherever I go. Regardless of where I go “said Fuccillo. “They start the “Huge” chant as soon as I enter the Blue Martini.”
Fuccillo recalled a day when he was fifth in line at a Publix grocery store in the neighborhood when a man in the next line recognized him.
“Hey, Huge, how are you doing? he greeted. The four individuals in front of me all turned around, “explained Fuccillo.
The proprietor of the Fuccillo Automotive Group, which consists of over 20 automobile dealerships, claimed he doesn’t mind being referred to as “Huge.” It doesn’t actually refer to Fuccillo’s size, which is unquestionably enormous and tall. It’s not only about his $100 million reported net worth. Whether you like it or not, the focus is primarily on Fuccillo assimilating into Southwest Florida daily life. That is MASSIVE.
Fuccillo’s manner of death
Billy Fuccillo’s booming voice can be heard on the radio, on television, or on the lot if you live in Southwest Florida or close to one of his other dealerships.
According to his dealership, Fuccillo, 65, passed away on Friday, June 18, following months of deteriorating health.
It’s going to be huuuuuge! was Fuccillo’s catchphrase. he has a great heart as well. on-air.
Along with running the Fuccillo Automotive Group, he frequently gave to charity, including $100,000 in 2019 for the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida to help fight local hunger.
Every time Fuccillo gave a gift, he appeared to be the recipient rather than the giver. Fuccillo was quite compassionate. Over the years, he donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to both the Salvation Army and the Harry Chapin Food Bank.
Billy had a reputation for unexpectedly calling and stating, “Hey, I’ve got something for you. And as a result of that, Richard LeBer, CEO of the Harry Chapin Food Bank, stated, “You know, he fed many thousands of people in Southwest Florida.” “I believe that the word “big” will simply become part of everyday speech for a very long time to come.
Fuccillo knew Robert Goodman as a buddy. When Fuccillo converted Goodman’s land into his Cape Coral Kia vehicle business, the two came into contact.
He was anxious about it, according to Goodman. “He phoned me Bobby, Bobby, and he said, ‘This doesn’t work, I need you to purchase it back from me, I want to, I want to get a money-back guarantee, and I was so convinced that it would work.'”
Fuccillo became a philanthropist quite quickly. He began giving away free homes and automobiles. Free gas day was also observed.
According to Goodman, “He was you know, he had this presence on TV. “But when you got to know him, he was really, you know, a humble man.
Sandra Hamblin George, a customer, stated, “I want to thank Billy Fuccillo from Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral. We had such lovely memories of our trips to Europe and the Bahamas. ” Billy, you are appreciated and will be missed.
The Cape Coral and Port Charlotte Fuccillo Kia dealerships were sold to LMP Automotive Holdings, a Delaware-based company, in late 2020.
Visit this link to view Fuccillo’s obituary. On June 24, his funeral will take place in Syracuse, New York.