On the Road: The spirit of giving - Driving
Grab a non-perishable food item, or better yet, some cash. Head to your nearest Calgary new car dealer and help stuff their Inter Faith Food Bank donation box to the brim. “We’ve been involved with the Mayor’s Christmas Food Bank Drive for many years,” says Jim Gillespie, executive manager of the Calgary Motor Dealers Association (CMDA). It’s a long-standing tradition for Calgary area auto dealers to support the food bank. In fact, many of the dealers support their own internal promotions, for example, encouraging friends and customers to come and fill the back of a pick up truck with food. “Many dealers will write a cheque to match employee contributions, or they will make a donation to the food bank directly from the dealership,” Gillespie says. The CMDA also promotes its own internal competition to encourage gathering as much food and cash as possible. This year, the match pits president Cindy Clark of Sterling Western Star Truck against vice-president Kelly Temple of Eastside Kia. “It’s all about helping the food bank and the less fortunate at this time of year,” Gillespie says. In 2013, the CMDA and its member dealers managed to contribute just under $100,000 to the food bank drive. It would be great this year, Gillespie says, if the association could top the $100,000 mark. Source: driving.ca
