By Gary Hatrick
Buying a car at Wesley Chapel Toyota or Wesley Chapel Honda will also help the cause of finding a cure for breast cancer as a result of a community initiative begun by the Toyota dealership.
Proof was offered in dollars Wednesday as WC Honda Managing Partner David Williams presented Moffitt Cancer Center representative Shaina Sine with a check for $35,000 accumulated through car sales.
“We take a small percentage out of each car sale and donate it to Moffitt,” Williams said. “We started out with Toyota and we just recently acquired Honda across the street so they gave a small percentage in the few months that we’ve owned it. Next year it will be a larger check because we’ll have both stores doing it all year.”
Williams said that the effort began about a year ago as the Toyota dealership sought ways to get involved and give back to the community. They felt there was no better partner in the local community to help than Moffitt.
“Everybody has been touched in one way or another by cancer, especially breast cancer,” Williams explained. “We’ll continue to build and try to get more each year. Our goal next year is $50,000 to $60,000.”
Both Toyota and Honda dealership employees have worn pink shirts all through October to highlight breast cancer awareness and plans are to do so every year.
“We thank Wesley Chapel Toyota and Honda for partnering with Moffitt Cancer Center to spread awareness of breast cancer and helping with our mission of education treatment and detection,” Sine said.
The money will go a long way to fund research initiatives and patient care initiative, Sine continued, as well as enabling Moffitt to get out in the community and help underserved populations and women throughout the region.
