GM Canada Donates $160,000 To Durham Children’s Aid Foundation

December 16, 2021 6:00 am

GM Canada has presented a cheque totalling $160,000 to the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation as part of an effort to give back to the local Oshawa community this holiday season.

The $160,000 that was donated to the DCAF this week is partially made up of monetary donations from the GM Canada dealer contest, which offered entrants a chance to win the first 2022 Chevy Silverado HD to roll off the line at the Oshawa Assembly plant in southern Ontario. This was a dealer contest that allowed the winning store the opportunity to purchase the vehicle, with Paillé Chevrolet Buick GMC in Berthierville, Quebec, taking home the special prize. This contest raised a total of $115,000 for charity, GM Canada says.

GM Canada employees also contributed $36,000 to the DCAF donation fund, while another $10,000 came out of a donation from the Oshawa Assembly plant itself.

A convoy of Oshawa-built Chevrolet Silverado HD pickups drove to the DCAF this week filled with toys and gifts to donate to the non-profit. Representatives from GM Canada were also on-hand to present the charity with the $160,000 cheque.

GM Canada headquarters

This effort continues the legacy of Sharon Clark, a former employee of the Oshawa Assembly plant that ran a holiday gift charity for underprivileged youth called “Sharon’s Kids.” Clark lost her battle with cancer in 2020, although GM Canada continues to support children’s aid efforts in the Durham region in her honor. Since 2018, GM Canada and its employees have donated more than $500,000 to Sharon’s Kids, which is now an integrated part of the DCAF.

Scott Bell, GM Canada president and managing director, said the automaker is proud to carry on Clark’s legacy of giving back around the holidays.

“GM Canada and our community have supported Durham Children’s Aid for over fifty years, and I am so proud that we are honouring Sharon’s legacy to make the holidays a little brighter for children that need it most in the Durham Region,” Bell said.