Something special happened in Ontario this summer: A community car donation event is adding up to giving and giving and giving again!

We’ve been waiting expectantly to provide some updates on the Grand Bend Motorplex / $1000 Challenge Make A Wish Canada! Our agent and their teams have worked diligently to provide free tow support and assessment on multiple vehicles making their way to our program on behalf of the charity.

Those donations are adding up. At the end of the “race”? Thirteen rough n’ ready vehicles are rollin’ through for the children’s charity!

More on that in a minute, but first, a reminder of what the excitement is all about:

Drivin’ laps (so many laps!) for Make a Wish Canada in SW Ontario

Here are all of the goodies about this fabulous fundraiser:

$1000 Challenge Make A Wish Canada Fundraiser

When: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 — 10:00am – 4:00pm

Where: Southwestern Ontario car enthusiasts will gather at Grand Bend Motorplex to run their vehicles on the road course for 4 hours.

Admission: Free!

The challenge

All drivers found and purchases a vehicle for less than $1,000 dollars to drive the course.

Winners were judged on number of laps completed and how they made their vehicle stand out from the pack.

This is community car donation at it’s most elaborate!

How those cars add up to cash for Make a Wish Canada

Once the event was complete, all of the vehicles were picked up by Donate A Car Canada. All proceeds will be donated to Make A Wish Canada. It really does take a village.

And what about you?

The public was encouraged to head out for this community car donation experience and take part in the road course run as well as the car show that happened during the event. A BBQ lunch was provided with all proceeds going to Make A Wish Canada! The Grand Bend Sobeys graciously donated all the food and drinks. The Grand Bend legion provided a BBQ and a generous donation, too!

How Donate a Car Canada is involved

Once the community car donation event was complete, all of the racers donated the race vehicles to Make-A-Wish Canada through our program. We love it when generosity revs up lap after lap like this! Not only were funds raised at the event itself, but the giving continues as we process the actual vehicles.

The way this works: our supporting agent is re-selling and recycling all of these vehicles. The net proceeds from that process will go directly to the charity. Each vehicle donor will receive a tax receipt (via CanadaHelps) for this additional gift.

Do you have a vehicle of your own to donate? The process is simple and quick! Not only that, the tow is always free! Just click the “Donate Now” button on our site and we’ll have you rollin’ for charity in no time.

UPDATE: So? How did it go?

Make A Wish Canada is the happy recipient of a generous bundle of vehicle donations! On top of the funds raised at the actual Grand Bend Motorplex event, we are in process with our supporting agent on 13 vehicles from this community car donation extravaganza:

2002 Ford Cube Van

1998 BMW 328ia

So far? Over $4,000.00 in donations are in the works for Make-A-Wish Canada! That’s a big deal — especially considering that some of these units came out of the race chassis-on-wheels and nothin’ more! Soon, funds will come our way so that all of these gifts can be disbursed to the charity. This may be be complete as early as accounting month-end in September.

Build your own community car donation event!

Not all community car donation events happen on a lap track. Sometimes, a neighbourhood or town is just ready to do a clean-up event. If this is you and your community, give us a call (1-877-250-4904). We can help ensure speedy and efficient vehicle removal of unused/unwanted vehicles. Every individual donor can choose their favourite charity as recipient for their gift. Or, you can come together as a collective and send all gifts to the same charity. Any which way, we are here to assist in ensuring a cheerful, simple, generous donation experience!

We can’t wait to work alongside you and your community!

The post It Takes a Village | Community Car Donation appeared first on Donate A Car.

Thank you for entrusting us with a 5th vehicle through our program! We are so very appreciative of your generosity!”

~ Carolyne, DAC Donor Support ~

Since 2012, Mr. Stiksma and his family have been quietly popping up in our new donation notifications. One vehicle after another, they have given gifts to charities that they love! They are sharing the vehicles that have served them well.

Make-a-Wish Gifts

It all started in 2012 with an Explorer that was ready for the scrapper. Of little sentimental value to the Stiksma’s, the SUV was the first of their vehicles to spread cheer to the Make-a-Wish-Foundation. From that humble beginning the family would go on to give more gifts. A truck, a sporty car, a minivan, and…well…an “old man car.”

Henry’s first truck, a ’91 Ford Ranger, was a favorite, but when she gave her last gasp — in the middle of a city intersection — it was time for her contribution to change from rubber on asphalt to donation dollars. Gift #2 for the kids at Make-a-Wish.

The charity was a natural fit for the Stiksma’s as Henry’s wife is a teacher. One of the students in her school was on the list of recipients for Make-a-Wish. The family wanted to contribute — to the tune of two different car donations in just one year!

Multiple Gifts & Models, Multiplied Generosity

The family minivan proved to be a trusty workhorse. For over 300,000 kms it ferried 4 children and their friends to soccer games and volleyball practice. They drove that Montana right into  2o14 until it couldn’t go another kilometer. It’s last ride was, you guessed it, on behalf of the children at Make-a-Wish!

Not to be outdone, Henry’s Ranger-replacement, a ’99 Sunfire, chugged along efficiently until it could chug no more. The kids at the Stiksma’s favorite charity benefited again!

Which brings us to the donation of the day, Henry’s beloved ’03 Buick Century. He’s taken some ribbing from his kiddos about his “old man car,” but with a ride so comfortable, he hasn’t been too worried about a little slight from time to time. She’ll go up for sale via a re-sale agent in Edmonton (we’re hoping to see a return a little higher than we’re able to see through recycling in this hurtin’ economy), and the net proceeds from that sale will benefit…the Autism Society of Edmonton! As several of the family’s loved ones have been touched by Autism, they opted for a change-up on this 5th (yes, 5th!) vehicle gift.

Mr. Stiksma and his family have shared their beautiful spirit with us again and again. We are tickled to be part of the process as they so generously make their world a more hopeful and joy-filled place! Every gift is important. Not every family can give one of every kind of vehicle there is, but your one donation will be a source of goodness, no matter what category it fits in!

The post One Family | Multi-Model Gifts appeared first on Donate A Car.

From goats to solar panels, and teachers to medicine, Canadian Luthern World Relief Gifts From the Heart catalogue will inspire you to give uniquely and generously!

Shop CNIB (the Canadian National Institute of the Blind) for dozens of practical and beautiful life aids!

Find out how you can give the best gift this holiday season – a wish come true at Season of Wishes®

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