Sudbury car dealership tops up 2021 donation to $30K

In the spirit of giving, Belanger Ford in Sudbury is giving another big donation to help support the NEO Kids Foundation at Health Sciences North.

A $10,000 cheque was presented Monday afternoon and it was just one of three donations made this year alone.

In total, Belanger Ford has now donated $30,000 to NEO kids in 2021 and said it was a team effort.

"Not only is it that time of year where it’s important to hunker down and really focus on giving back to your community and areas in need, but the fact that COVID has struck a lot of people over the past couple of years, to be able to do this… taking money from every car sold here at Belanger Ford, so it’s nice to know that the community has helped. It’s not just Belanger Ford,” said Tessa Bonhomme, a spokesperson for the car dealership located in the Greater Sudbury community of Chelmsford.

NEO Kids hasn’t decided exactly where the donation will go yet but said the money will be put to good use.

"It will go to our highest priority needs," said Rosie Graffi, the interim lead of development and marketing for the NEO Kids Foundation. "It’s to help keep our NEO Kids as close to home when possible. So it will, you know, address any of those needs, whether it’s specialized equipment to ensure that our kids are as close to home."

She said the donation is really heartwarming.

"We are so grateful to Belanger Ford Lincoln Centre for this generous donation and for their commitment to supporting our younger patients throughout the region," Graffi said.

As for Belanger Ford, it just wants to help make a difference where it can.

"For us, it’s just important to get the money in their hands and make sure it goes to good use," Bonhomme said.