Prostate Cancer Canada’s second annual Wear #PlaidForDad campaign netted over $500,000 toward the fight against prostate cancer – with the Ontario Trucking Association leading the way.
In an amazing display of generosity, OTA member companies pledged a combined $31,440 (about 6% of the national total) – making OTA 2016 ‘National Champions’ as top overall fundraising organization in Canada. (And improving on last year’s second place finish). Law firms McCarthy Tetrault and last year’s champions, Borden Ladner Gervais, rounded out the top three workplaces.
It was a tight three-way race until the final minutes of yesterday’s fundraising deadline when OTA pulled away, securing the title thanks to a few last minute donations.
“I simply can’t thank all of the teams enough! They all raised each other’s game and that led to remarkable results for this important cause,” says Rocco Rossi, president and CEO of Prostate Cancer Canada. “It was great to watch blue collar and white collar compete for the title of plaid collar this year. The bottom line is that our friends in the trucking world took it to another gear and have snatched the coveted Plaid Vest! Congratulations and fantastic job.”
OTA kicked off #PlaidForDad at the Truck World show in April, which featured two eye-popping, plaid-clad tractor trailers from Tandet and Steed Standard Transport – two carriers who were instrumental in launching OTA’s funding drive.
“OTA is an association that is always working towards improving our industry in the areas of safety, efficiency and effectiveness,” says Tandet president and OTA chairman Scott Tilley. “It is great that we could also come together as an industry to work towards improving the odds in the fight against prostate cancer for all men across Canada.”
OTA would like to thank Prostate Cancer Canada and Rocco Rossi for their partnership on this campaign – and especially the OTA member carriers, Allied Trades and the handful of non-member, individual trucking industry workers that were kind enough to donate through OTA.
Remember: One in eight men – dads, husbands, brothers, sons and grandfathers – will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.