Kemna in the Community | Giving Back to Algona Since 1956

For three generations, Kemna Auto Group has done business in Algona — and the people of Algona, Kossuth County, and north central Iowa have done business with us. We don't take that for granted. The handshake that closed your grandparent's first new pickup in 1962 is the same handshake we shake today, and the way we say thank you for nearly seven decades of loyalty is by showing up for the community that built us.

How Kemna Gives Back

Every year, the Kemna family and our team partner with local schools, hospitals, nonprofits, first responders, churches, veteran organizations, youth programs, and family-focused events that strengthen the towns we call home. Some of the support is financial — donations, sponsorships, scholarships. Some is sweat equity — volunteer hours, food drives, in-kind contributions. And a lot of it is simply opening our showroom doors so our neighbors can gather, celebrate, and make memories with their families.

Local Organizations Kemna Proudly Supports

Kemna is honored to partner with organizations across Algona, Kossuth County, Emmet County, Palo Alto County, and north central Iowa, including:

Community Development & Local Business

KCEDC — the Kossuth/Emmet County Development Corporation, driving economic growth in our region
Algona Chamber of Commerce — supporting the local businesses that make our community thrive

Health, Hospitals & Cancer Research

Kossuth County Cancer Research Foundation — supporting research, treatment access, and local cancer patients
Kossuth Regional Hospitals — partnering with the medical professionals who care for our neighbors

Food, Family & Children's Services

Kossuth County Food Bank — keeping the shelves stocked for families in need
Catholic Charities — assistance for families across north central Iowa
Local YMCA — health, fitness, and youth programs in our community
Bear Care Child Daycare — supporting safe, quality childcare for working families

First Responders & Public Safety

Local Police Departments and Sheriff Departments — the Algona PD, Kossuth County Sheriff, and surrounding agencies
Local Community Fire Departments — the volunteer and paid firefighters who protect Algona and the surrounding small towns

Veterans & First Responders

Moving Veterans Forward — helping veterans transition to civilian life
Hunting with Heroes — outdoor experiences for wounded veterans and first responders
Algona VFW — supporting the men and women who served

Youth, Schools & Scholarships

Algona High School and Bishop Garrigan High School — supporting our local students, athletes, and educators
Community School After-Proms — backing the safe, all-night after-prom events that keep our area students safe on prom night
Local scholarships for graduating area seniors, including Kemna's own Driving Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship
Audi Crooks Foundation — supporting youth athletics and education in Iowa
Local Church Outreach — backing the youth ministry, food drives, and outreach programs run by our area's congregations

Community Events & Heritage

Proud Algona Band Day Supporter — celebrating one of Iowa's longest-running marching band traditions every year right here in Algona
Kossuth County Fair — the annual gathering that brings the whole county together
Kossuth County Raceway — preserving a local racing tradition for the next generation
West Bend Grotto — supporting the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, a beloved regional landmark and pilgrimage destination
Bishop Garrigan Gala — annual benefit supporting Bishop Garrigan Catholic School

The Driving Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship

Each year, Kemna recognizes graduating seniors from Algona High School and Bishop Garrigan High School who reflect the values we strive to live by every day at our dealership: integrity, dependability, teamwork, and the drive to keep getting better.

The Driving Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship isn't awarded to the most talented athlete on the field. It's awarded to the student who:

Puts the team first
Shows up with a positive attitude, every practice and every game
Is coachable and willing to learn
Works hard regardless of who's watching
Pursues excellence both on and off the field

If you know a graduating senior who embodies these values, talk to your coach, your athletic director, or your school counselor about the nomination process — or reach out to Kemna directly.

Community Events at the Dealership

Several times a year, we open our doors to the community for events that bring families together right here on the showroom floor:

Photos with Santa — a Kemna holiday tradition
Visits with the Easter Bunny — spring fun for the kids
Anniversary celebrations — marking 70 years and counting of serving Algona
Chamber coffees, community dinners, and family days throughout the year

Follow Kemna GMC on Facebook to see what's coming up — we'd love to see you there.

Kemna in the Community: A Look Back

Moments from our community work — from check presentations and food drives to family events and milestone celebrations.

Donations & Charitable Giving

Kemna GMC presenting a donation check to the Kossuth County Cancer Research Foundation in Algona, Iowa — Donation to the Kossuth County Cancer Foundation

Kemna GMC team presenting a donation to the Algona Police Department — Supporting the Algona Police Department

Kemna GMC supporting Moving Veterans Forward, helping veterans transition to civilian life in Iowa — Donation to Moving Veterans Forward

Kemna GMC donating to the Kossuth County Raceway in Algona, Iowa — Donation to the Kossuth County Raceway

Kemna GMC presenting a charitable donation check to local Algona heroes and first responders — Kemna’s Driving Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship recipient in Algona

Kemna GMC team presenting another donation to first responders and local heroes in Algona, Iowa — Kemna’s Driving Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship recipient in Algona

Kemna GMC check presentation in Algona, Iowa supporting a local community organization — Kemna’s Driving Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship recipient in Algona

Supporting Veterans & First Responders

Kemna GMC supporting the Algona VFW and local veterans organizations — Hunting With Heroes Salute to Veterans Race Night Sponsorship

Kemna GMC partnering with Hunting with Heroes for wounded veterans and first responders — Partnering with Hunting with Heroes

Kemna GMC providing food and hospitality for local heroes and first responders in Algona, Iowa — Audi Crooks Foundation Food Donations

Family Events at the Dealership

Annual Photos with Santa event at Kemna GMC dealership in Algona, Iowa — Kemna Santa Community Event

Children meeting the Easter Bunny at the annual spring event at Kemna GMC in Algona, Iowa — Visits with the Easter Bunny

Stuff the Trailer community food and supply drive hosted by Kemna GMC in Algona, Iowa — Stuff the Trailer community drive

Celebrating 70 Years in Algona

Kemna GMC team celebrating 70 years of family-owned business in Algona, Iowa — 70th anniversary celebration with our Kemna GMC team

Loyal Kemna GMC customer celebrating the dealership's 70th anniversary in Algona, Iowa — Kemna’s Driving Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship recipient in Algona

Exterior view of the Kemna GMC dealership at 617 US-18 B in Algona, Iowa — Audi Crooks stopped by Kemna GMC to pick up her new vehicle

Community Gatherings & Dinners

Algona Chamber of Commerce coffee event hosted at Kemna GMC dealership — Hosting the Algona Chamber Coffee

Kemna GMC sponsoring the annual Bishop Garrigan Gala in Algona, Iowa — Bishop Garrigan Gala sponsorship

Kemna GMC community dinner with neighbors and customers in Algona, Iowa — Community dinner at Kemna GMC

Kemna GMC community dinner event hosting Algona neighbors and friends — Sharing a meal with our Algona neighbors

Kemna GMC family and community dinner in Algona, Iowa — Another evening with our community family

Kemna GMC community event in Algona, Iowa — Out and about in the Algona community

Know an Organization We Should Support?

If your school, team, nonprofit, church, hospital fundraiser, food drive, after-prom committee, marching band, or community group is working on something that strengthens Algona, Emmetsburg, Spencer, Mason City, West Bend, Humboldt, or any of the small towns our neighbors call home — reach out. We're always listening, and we're always looking for the next way to give back.

Contact Kemna GMC

Giving back to Algona isn't a marketing campaign at Kemna — it's a habit three generations old. From keeping the shelves stocked at the Kossuth County Food Bank to writing checks for the Kossuth County Cancer Research Foundation, from sponsoring Hunting with Heroes and Moving Veterans Forward to hosting Santa and the Easter Bunny on our showroom floor, from cheering on the Algona Band Day parade to supporting the West Bend Grotto and the after-prom committees that keep our students safe on prom night, from backing our local police, sheriff, and fire departments to honoring graduating seniors at Algona High and Bishop Garrigan with our Driving Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship — this is what it looks like when a family-owned business actually treats its hometown like home.

We've been a part of Algona since Joe and Doris Kemna opened our doors in 1956, and today the third generation, Carey and Amy Kemna, continues that tradition by quietly supporting the people, places, and programs that make Kossuth County, Emmet County, Palo Alto County, and north central Iowa a place worth raising a family. Food drives, school fundraisers, athletic banquets, band day celebrations, after-prom events, community dinners, parades, charity auctions, hospital benefits, scholarship banquets, church outreach, daycare support — if it strengthens Algona, Emmetsburg, Spencer, Mason City, West Bend, Humboldt, or any of the small towns our neighbors call home, we want to be part of it.

If you know of an organization, an athlete, a student, a family in need, or a cause worth supporting, reach out. We're always listening, and we're always looking for the next way to give back to the community that's supported the Kemna family for nearly seventy years.

Kemna GMC · 617 US-18 B, Algona, Iowa 50511 · (515) 337-0856 · Family-Owned and Iowa-Grown Since 1956.

Kemna Investing in the Community | Giving Back to Algona Since 1956