Every Thanksgiving, Carson Grant likes to do something special for his Comox Valley Dodge team and the local community.
This year, with a brand new baby at home, instead of a staff dinner where they’d collect donations of food and clothes, Grant wanted to find a new way of giving thanks, and giving back.
The result was even better than imagined!
Through Comox Valley Dodge Cares, Grant committed to 24 Hours on the Street, a campaign based at the dealership’s new location – opening soon where Canadian Tire previously stood. Through the wind and rain, Grant and his team gave out water, coffee, food, toques, socks and warm clothing, while also raising $11,890 for two non-profit organizations working in support of those in need in the Comox Valley.
With close to $6,000 in community donations – well surpassing their $5,000 goal – Comox Valley Dodge matched that, sharing the total proceeds between Sunday Station and the Comox Valley Street Outreach.
Sunday Station provides a free meal service every second Sunday, along with donated clothing items, jackets, toiletries and blankets.
Comox Valley Street Outreach provides peer-to-peer outreach, advocacy, harm reduction, community clean-up, biohazard disposal, Naloxone training and more.
Alongside the much-needed fundraising, the event also emphasized awareness raising, notes Grant, who lost a brother to overdose five years ago.
“I think we really helped raise awareness among people in the community. Speaking with those who stopped by, and hearing their stories throughout the day was really eye-opening for many people,” Grant says.
Through sharing and listening, we begin to realize that people can come to their particular challenges from many places and many circumstances.
“These are often good people who’ve had bad things happen,” he says. “We try to give back and be leaders in the community. Through these kinds of events, I hope we can encourage more people to do their part and not judge.”
While the last 19 months have been challenging for everyone, Grant is heartened by the kindness he sees in his community, and a commitment to moving forward. His favourite quote? “There are so many good people here in the Valley, but if you can’t find one, be one.”
Buoyed by the success of the 24-hour Thanksgiving event, Grant is excited to now prepare for Comox Valley Dodge’s Christmas toy drive, coming up next month.
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Comox Valley Dodge has been part of the local community for more than 30 years, and is the community’s go-to source for new Ram, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge vehicles, in addition to an excellent selection of pre-owned vehicles.
The dealership currently boasts one of the Island’s largest inventories of Ram trucks, and with the current $12,750 in savings and a competitive resale market for pre-owned vehicles, there’s no better time to get into a new truck.
Stop by the dealership today at 4847 N Island Hwy, Courtenay or learn more at comoxvalleydodge.com