NewRoads steps up – and pedals up – for Hospital, Food Pantry

September 12, 2024 · 0 Comments

NewRoads Automotive Group is gearing up for a busy September inviting the community to help them support organizations that are close to residents’ hearts: Southlake Regional Health Centre and the Aurora Food Pantry.

This Saturday, September 14, NewRoads and the Aurora Farmers’ Market will once again join forces to kick-off the Stuff-a-Truck campaign. Benefiting the Aurora Food Pantry, Market-goers are invited to bring or buy items for the Food Pantry and quite literally help fill an on-site vehicle supplied by NewRoads.

“This is a three-week event, and the truck will be [at Aurora Town Park] collecting non-perishable food items in support of the Aurora Food Pantry on September 21 and September 28 as well,” says NewRoads’ Aliya Miller, noting the vehicle will most likely be a Toyota pickup truck. “The goal has always been to help as many people as possible. We love being immersed in local neighbourhoods and NewRoads has always been a great community supporter.

“With the cost of living becoming increasingly high and food costs rising it is difficult for people to feed themselves let alone to eat nutritiously. It’s important to bring awareness to this problem and to try and enhance resources that are already available. Some most-needed items are canned proteins, pasta and pasta sauce, and peanut free snacks. Baby formula, baby food and diapers are much needed as are feminine products.”

The following weekend, on Sunday, September 22, the NewRoads community and community members at large will hit the road for another good cause as the NewRoads LakeRide returns. This ninth-annual event will once again support Southlake Regional Health Centre’s Mental Health Program.

Led by medal-winning cyclist Ed Veal, this year’s LakeRide will offer 10K, 20K, 45K, 80K, and 125K routes for riders of all abilities, departing from Newmarket’s NewRoads Performing Arts Centre just off Mulock Drive.

“Every year this event gains traction and always brings new riders and participants,” says Miller. “I am very excited because it will be my first time attending and the enthusiasm surrounding it is in the air and almost feels palatable. Donations from The NewRoads LakeRide help support the Emergent Mental Health Assessment Centre which has played a significant role in transforming mental health care at Southlake Hospital. Care has become more accessible to those who need it. I think almost everyone has been affected, in some way or another, by mental health issues. It has become a crisis and especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, so many people are struggling. There is no demographic for mental illness; it affects people of all ages, races and genders and I think it’s so important to eliminate the stigma surrounding it. It is a cause everyone can relate to.”

This year’s fundraising goal for the LakeRide is $250,000.

$500,000 has been raised to date, and the goal is to reach $1 million.

For more information, visit www.newroads.ca/lakeride.

By Brock Weir