Ilya Pinassi (General Manager of Upper James Toyota) and Jeff Urquhart (Licensed Toyota Technician with Upper James Toyota) are spending 5 weeks of their lives braving rough terrain and the unknown elements of the Sahara to raise at least $25,000 for the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC). $25,000 is the cost of outfitting a room in the Cancer Centre. The Juravinski Cancer Centre serves as the hub for a spectrum of cancer control programs from prevention and early detection, through to treatment and palliation. The JCC is the most comprehensive centre for cancer care and research in the Central/South West region of Ontario.
With the generous sponsorship support of Upper James Toyota, Ilya and Jeff will spend no more than $1000 on a Toyota vehicle which they will rely on to get them from Portsmouth, England to their final destination of Banjul, the Gambia.
Why are they doing this?!!!
"Are you kidding me?!" responds Ilya, "this is the opportunity of a lifetime. When I found out about the rally, I knew this was a good fit for my love of travel, my love of adventure, my love of Hamilton and my love of Toyota product." Figuring it might make sense to have a great technician helping out, Ilya asked Jeff. "Yes." Jeff replied without hesitation. "I don't know what it will be like to be in a car with my boss, but I know I may never have another opportunity like this in my lifetime and I see the same great fit that Ilya does for this adventure."
"We've named this adventure the Race for Grace in honour of Grace Carr," explains Ilya. "Grace was a long time employee of our family owned and operated dealership. She became a very close part of our family and she lost her long battle to cancer in late 2006. The time she was afforded made a huge difference in the lives of those who knew Grace. She made every second count. She travelled, she volunteered her time, she worked hard and she taught all of us how to live with incredible dignity. She deserves a tribute and this rally fits well Grace's values."
"One of the best components of this adventure is that with the generous sponsorship of Upper James Toyota, every penny people chose to donate goes directly to the Juravinski Cancer Centre," explains Ilya. "We focus on the driving, and surviving. Everyone else can focus on their donations!"
