Abbotsford’s 360 Collision Centres has been awarded the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia for developing the Wings and Wheels event to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.
The Wings and Wheels event, which occurred at Tradex on Aug. 15 and 16, was considered a big success and raised close to $60,000 for the Crystal Gala Foundation.
RELATED: Abbotsford’s Wings and Wheels event raises close to $60,000
“The Crystal Gala is one of our region’s most respected charitable organizations,” stated 360 Group of Companies president Rick Francoeur. “When the announcement came that COVID-19 had forced the cancellation of their annual charity gala fundraising event we knew we had to do something. The Crystal Gala had planned on gifting some important pieces of equipment for local hospitals to help people in our community, and we knew that COVID would make those gifts difficult in 2020. We made the decision to create an event that adhered to COVID protocols and came up with the concept of a drive-thru hot rod car show. As word spread, the show expanded to include vintage airplanes, tractors, trucks, emergency service vehicles, a significant display of military equipment from conflicts around the globe along with the hot rods, muscle cars, vintage and classic cars that 360 Group is known for. And by the end of the two days, we had raised over $56,000, which in turn the Crystal Gala used to support women and men in our region in their fight against breast cancer.”
Automotive Retailers Association of BC (ARA BC) president Adrian Scovell said 360 Collision Centres was selected for the prestigious award because of their innovative approach during these challenging times.
“360 Collision Centres stepped up in a big way by helping raise funds for a local charity organization,” he said. “Rick Francoeur and his team did not let COVID-19 stand in their way and found a solution to support their local community. This is exactly the sort of entrepreneurial spirit independent businesses and ARA members are known for.”
360 Group of Companies includes 360 Fabrication, Canada’s largest hot rod shop; 360 Car and Marine Audio and 360 Collision Centres, one of the most highly certified auto body repair facilities in the Fraser Valley.
The Crystal Gala Foundation is a 100% volunteer run organization which has raised in excess of $3 million for the fight against breast cancer in the Fraser Valley.
RELATED: Wings and Wheels fundraiser ready to roll in Abbotsford this weekend
