Toronto, Ontario — August 28, 2017 — A celebration was recently held in culmination of the annual Tire Take Back program, a collaborative community fundraiser organized by the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA) and the Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) with support from registered tire haulers and processors, and in association with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), working together with communities across the province to raise money to support The Sunshine Foundation of Canada.
Since 2009, Tire Take Back has successfully led to the collection and recycling of 510,285 used tires, resulting in a total of $1,115,921 in donations to Sunshine, and effectively providing hundreds of life-changing dream come true experiences for children living with severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses.
During the eighth annual Tire Take Back program held this year from May 23 to June 4, Ontarians recycled a total of 52,100 used tires, raising $54,528 in support of Sunshine. To celebrate this tremendous success, members from OARA, OTS, OFA and Sunshine gathered at P&G Auto Parts in North Bay, the recycler with the highest number of tires collected across the province, for an official cheque presentation and celebration of more dreams coming true.
“OARA Members have rallied around the Tire Take Back program like no other effort within the association,” said Steve Fletcher, Executive Director of OARA. “They put in phenomenal work collecting these tires, keeping the environment clean, and helping a great charity along the way. We are so pleased that the North Bay community chipped in to support this great program.”
“Ontario Tire Stewardship is honoured to be part of a worthwhile initiative that benefits our environment, economy and local communities,” said Andrew Horsman, Executive Director, Ontario Tire Stewardship. “Through the hard work of so many of OTS’s Program Partners, we’re pleased to play a role in making dreams come true for some very deserving children and their families. Ontarians should be proud of the commitment they’ve shown to responsible tire recycling. It’s through initiatives like Tire Take Back that have helped contribute to recycling more than 100 million tires in the province.”
This year marked a significant increase in support from the farming community, with the highest number of agricultural tires donated during this campaign to date. This increase is due in part to the collaboration with OFA and their efforts to reach out to the agricultural sector across the province.
“OFA would like to congratulate OARA and OTS on another successful Tire Take Back campaign,” said Keith Currie, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “Our members appreciate that their efforts to continually be environmentally responsible can now be supportive of this outstanding fundraising initiative for The Sunshine Foundation of Canada.”
The celebration at P&G Auto Parts, hosted by co-owner Darrell Pitman, was also an opportunity for Sunshine to give thanks for the combined efforts of all the stakeholders who came together to make a difference in the lives of children.
“For the past eight years, the support of Tire Take Back organizers and participants has helped make dreams a reality for children and youth living with severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses,” says Nancy Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer of The Sunshine Foundation of Canada. “These life-changing experiences help kids begin to write their future stories with a newfound sense of confidence and independence. The generous support of OARA, OTS, OFA, and all their partners and members has brought together hundreds of dream makers across Ontario, encouraging more kids to dream big for years to come, and for that we are truly thankful.”
