Dealer associations from across Alberta in collaboration with the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) are raising funds to help dealership employees who have incurred losses due to the recent floods in Southern Alberta.
“Many of our members’ employees have been unable to work and earn income because they are dealing with flood damage in their homes or the dealerships themselves have been closed because of the floods,” said Greg Ducharme, chairman of the Motor Dealers Association of Alberta (MDA). “Our goal is to help relieve some of their financial pressures and to galvanize the efforts of MDA members who were expressing a desire to do something.”
MDA is coordinating the fundraising campaign, and 100 per cent of the funds raised will be used to assist member dealership employee flood victims. The MDA kickstarted the effort with a donation, and in a show of industry solidarity, the dealer associations from Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge also contributed to the fund. In addition, the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association committed funds to the cause.
“As much as this disaster’s effects have been devastating, it is heartening to receive the support of dealers across Canada,” remarked Alex Baum, chairman of CADA and partner in Alberta-based Cochrane Toyota. “Distance and competition are no barriers to their compassion and generosity,” Baum said of his fellow dealers. “We hope that other industries will follow suit and pitch in to help their brethren recover.” To date, the dealer associations have donated $85,000 in support of their members’ affected employees.
The MDA is issuing a request to its members to donate to the cause and hopes to be issuing assistance to flood victims by the end of July. “Dealers recognize that employees are the lifeblood of our business, the oil of our economic engine, if you will — this is one way we can collectively demonstrate our appreciation for our staff’s contributions to our industry,” said Ducharme. The MDA will soon be sending an information package to its members who will make their employees aware of the relief program.
