Valet Park of America

06/10/2026

In late May, our Memorial Hospital team found themselves in a chaotic situation, when a customer’s vehicle caught on fire.

Led by Managers Mike Shaughnessy and Tyler McKeon, they sprung into action using their training and experience to make the best of a difficult situation.

After alerting authorities and making sure everyone was away from the area, they attempted to extinguish the fire, and moved other vehicles from the area to avoid further damage or a larger fire. They then re-routed traffic away from the area to let the responding police and fire work, while keeping traffic flowing, and making sure there was no impact to hospital operations while this all happened.

In the end, the fire was contained to the one vehicle, and there were no other injuries or damage. We need to also thank Teagan MacEachern, who quickly alerted everyone to the danger, and Juan Arazamendiz, who was instrumental in re-routing the traffic.

We treated the crew to lunch today to thank them all for their actions. While on site we received other compliments of how great a job the team does there.

Thank you all for this, and for what you do each day!

06/05/2026

Congrats to our May Employees of the Month, CT’s Leila Lazaro & Cassandra Garriga!

The duo recognized a very dangerous situation and took action.

While she was parking a car, Leila heard a baby crying across the street. She looked over and saw a child on the front steps of an apartment building. The baby then ran across the busy street and started heading down the sidewalk near the gate to our lot. She called out for the parents but no one was around. The little one was only wearing a diaper and a t-shirt. She ran out right away, grabbed the baby, and picked him up to keep him from going into traffic.

The rest of our team then began to assist while we waited for authorities. Valet attendant Cassandra Garriga, who has a baby around the same age, went into ‘Mom Mode’ - held him, kept him calm, and made sure he stayed warm.

The authorities arrived and took proper steps to make sure the baby was safe, including medical attention, and an investigation into the matter.

We would like to thank these two wonderful young ladies for their actions to look out for the well-being of this child.

For us, it’s so much more than parking cars, and this is a shining example of just that.

Congrats on this well-deserved award, and and thank you both!

05/28/2026

With the Spring semester over, our shuttles are starting to make their way in for their summer preventative maintenance. We would like to thank all of our college drivers and support staff across New England and New York for a great job this year!

05/13/2026

Early in April, Victor Rodriguez demonstrated extraordinary courage and quick thinking during a critical situation at Wynn Hospital.

An elderly customer arrived to use the valet service, and after exiting, inadvertently left the car in drive, causing it to collide with another vehicle.

In a moment of panic, she then accelerated in reverse, putting Victor in immediate danger and nearly trapping him beneath the driver’s door. Without hesitation, he made a split-second decision to dive into the vehicle’s footwell and manually apply the brake with his hand, bringing the car to a stop. His quick, decisive and selfless action not only prevented serious injury to himself, but also protected nearby pedestrians and others in the vicinity.

This incident is a powerful example of his composure, bravery, and commitment to safety. Victor sets a strong example for his peers and contributes greatly to the reputation of our team.

Manager Kyle Yeomans, who nominated him for Employee of the Month, adds: “As his manager, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for Victor’s hard work and commitment. His actions on April 4th were nothing short of heroic, but just as importantly, his day-to-day consistency, integrity, and positive attitude are what truly set him apart.”

Every month we are faced with a tough call to select our EOM (through a system with manager’s voting). This month, Victor came very close to winning, and is being featured as an Honorable Mention to the April Employee of the Month. Thanks for a great job!

05/11/2026

No co****le trophies this time, but Team VPA showed up, gave it our all, and proudly supported Baystate Children’s Hospital along the way. The fundraiser was held on Friday, and our team had a great time for a worthy cause! SHUTtle UP & TOSS!

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all, but especially those one our team! We hope you have a great day!

05/08/2026

“David acted immediately—he caught her as she fell, protected her head from hitting the ground, and stayed with her to ensure her safety” - Congrats to our April 2026 Employee of the Month, Holyoke Medical Center Driver David Serrano!

David provides our Curb to Curb Service, creating a transportation opportunity for patients to get their needed medical care. He was nominated by HMC Manager Jill Laliberte, who writes: “On a daily basis, David consistently demonstrates exceptional professionalism, compassion, and dedication in his role. He goes above and beyond every day to ensure patients are safe, comfortable, and treated with dignity and respect. His positive attitude and willingness to help others make him a valued member of the team.”

While worthy of recognition, David’s actions on April 15th went to another level. While assisting a patient with her belongings, she suddenly experienced a severe medical emergency and began having intense seizures. David acted immediately—he caught her as she fell, protected her head from hitting the ground, and stayed with her to ensure her safety. He quickly called 911 and remained by her side, providing support until emergency responders arrived. Even amid the urgency of the situation, David ensured her belongings were secured and made sure she was safely transferred to the ambulance and on her way to receive medical care.

David’s quick thinking, calmness under pressure, and genuine concern for patient safety likely prevented further injury and made a critical difference in that moment.

We are proud to name David Serrano as our Employee of the Month!

05/08/2026

05/06/2026

Last night 5 members of our team got to take the field at the Hartford Yard Goat’s stadium as the West Springfield High School baseball team took on Agawam on the big stage.

VPA was proud to support these student-athletes as a sponsor of the event.

Gabe Graney, Patrick Herihly, Grayson Kearney, Michael Zarelli, and Christopher Zarelli – all part time members of our Western MA team – played a great game under the lights, taking the win 6-1.

These 5 young men represented VPA and West Springfield well, and we know they will go on to do big things!

05/06/2026

Late last week one of our attendants in Connecticut quite possibly saved a child’s life. A huge shout-out to Leila Lazaro for recognizing a very dangerous situation and taking action.

While she was parking a car, she heard a baby crying across the street. She looked over and saw a baby on the front steps of an apartment building. The baby then ran across the busy street and started heading down the sidewalk near the gate to our lot. She called out for the parents but no one was around. The baby was only wearing a diaper and a t-shirt. She ran out right away, grabbed the baby, and picked him up to keep him from going into traffic.

The rest of our team then began to assist while we waited for authorities. Valet attendant Cassandra Garriga, who has a baby around the same age, went into ‘Mom Mode’ - held him, kept him calm, and made sure he stayed warm.

The authorities arrived and took proper steps to make sure the baby was safe, including medical attention, and an investigation into the matter.

We would like to thank these two wonderful young ladies for their actions to look out for the well-being of this child.

For us, it’s so much more than parking cars, and this is a shining example of just that. Well done, and thank you both!