Motor City Car Club donates to Grandview despite Autofest show being cancelled
“To The Best Show That Never Happened”
Despite Autofest being cancelled this year due to COVID-19, Motor City Car Club branded Autofest T-shirts so they could still raise money for Grandview Kids. (Photo by Chris Jones)
By Courtney Bachar/The Oshawa Express/LJI Reporter
Even though there was no Autofest this year, Motor City Car Club still found a way to raise money in support of Grandview Kids.
The cancellation of the annual event due to the pandemic forced club members to find other ways to raise funds, says Motor City Car Club President Yves Ouellette.
He says thanks to Club Chair Blair Trotter, T-shirts were created and sold, with the proceeds going to the Grandview Children’s Foundation.
“We were at a loss as to what we were going to do. But here we are today.”
He says the T-shirts were branded for Autofest, with a special bar on the back that read, “The Greatest Event that Never Happened.”
“We still feel very strongly in supporting the Grandview Children’s Foundation,” says Ouelette, adding a lot of people were enthused with how the T-shirts were branded.
The car club made a donation of $3,800, which Grandview Children’s Foundation Executive Director Brigette Tschinkel says is “all for the kids.”
“We have 19,000 kids that we serve across Durham Region and when COVID-19 hit, we were challenged with our fundraising. But our kids still need help,” she says.
Grandview Kids has been helping children and youth in Durham Region since 1953. Over the years, demand has grown from 400 kids annually in the 80s, to the current demand exceeding 19,000, 11,000 of which are on waiting lists for services.
“For more than six decades, Grandview has been the only Children’s Treatment Centre providing specialized care to children and youth in Durham Region,” states Grandview. “Our community relies on Grandview for life-changing services, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy and medical services.”
Grandview also helps families address speech language and audiology concerns, and supports their well-being through therapeutic recreation and social work.
Grandview receives funding from the government, but states there is a funding gap, noting Grandview Children’s Foundation exists to fill the gap “and get children and youth into innovative and life-changing therapy sooner.”
“With the long-term support and friendship of Motor City Car Club, even though there wasn’t an Autofest, they still raised $3,800 for us, and that’s going to go towards those kids that need us.”
*With files from Chris Jones