Thousands of dollars to support children in need donated by Maple Ridge car dealership

Maple Ridge Hyundai raised thousands for children in need throughout the province through a month-long campaign called Operation 100.

The goal of Operation 100 is to sell 100 vehicles in 30 days with $100 from each purchase going to charity.

And the dealership did just that in June, donating this year to the Kirmac Cares for Kids charity that, in turn, supports the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, Surrey Memorial Children’s Health Centre, and the Boys Club Network.

Cars, trucks and SUVs were marked down by thousands to help reach the target.

Last year the dealership reached their target as well, donating $10,000 to the Friends In Need Food Bank. The food bank was chosen by employees because they wanted to help those in need that were impacted most adversely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Having the employees of Maple Ridge Hyundai make the decision about what cause to donate to, allows them to be part of making a difference,” said John Kot, President of Maple Ridge Hyundai, part of the Kot Auto Group.

In 2016, Kot Auto Group and their B.C dealerships donated more than $50,000 to various organizations in the local area.

READ MORE: Maple Ridge dealership sets $10,000 giving goal for Friends in Need food bank this month

In December 2017 Kot and his wife, Trina, wanted to try a different approach to their traditional way of donating. They launched their first ever Pay it Forward Campaign around Christmas that provided $500 to each employee to donate to a cause or charity of their choice. Now, every December, almost $50,000 is donated to local charities.

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In November 2019 employees of Kot Auto Group wanted to launch a campaign that was focused less on a monetary donation and more on time and effort. So, the auto group launched the first Kot Coat Drive and were able to donate 451 coats the inaugural year and 1255 the year after to the Salvation Army.

“It is our privilege to give back and we hope to inspire our team and members of the community to do so as well,” said Kot.