Giving Back

Shad’s R&R

Shad’s R&R is an annual event widely supported by the automotive industry’s aftermarket suppliers, distributors, jobbers and retailers. It all began as a friendly golf event between a handful of supplier competitors back in 1975. The initial game raised $1,500 from various wagers (similar to today’s Skins Game on the Pro circuit), and all participants agreed that the game winnings be allocated to a worthy cause. The Canadian Muscular Dystrophy Association was selected by the group as the recipient to the proceeds that year.

The group also decided that the event be held annually and that the group expand the participants to include a broader group of suppliers and their customers. The Canadian Muscular Dystrophy Association continues to be the recipient of all proceeds generated from the annual golf event. From this humble beginning, the golf outing has become a major contributor to Muscular Dystrophy research in Canada.

Shad’s R&R is being held on Thursday June 22nd, 2023. The 48th annual one day event has close to 300 industry professionals competing in the golf tournament, donating a variety of prizes and participating in a wide range of fund raising programs.

Specialty Sales & Marketing is proud to be actively involved in Shad’s R&R on an annual basis. As of 2022, Shad’s has raised more than $5,300,000 and future events are in place to continue financial contributions to support the ongoing cost of research in the never ending search for a cure for Muscular Dystrophy.

High Fives for Kids Foundation

Specialty Sales & Marketing’s President, Ken Coulter, is outgoing Chairman of AIA Canada’s High Fives for Kids Foundation – a charitable cause for Canada’s automotive aftermarket industry. The High Fives for Kids Foundation provides both grants and scholarships. The grants support local or national registered charities that have programs for the benefit of children and youth.

The broad focus of the foundation is to allow AIA to support a variety of community groups in many activities such as buying a wheelchair, sending kids with diabetes or a disability to a summer camp, rebuilding a community center, or helping a local hospital for children. The issues that affect the ability of a child to grow up in a safe, nurturing environment are vast and often overwhelming. For more information, please visit the new AIA High Fives for Kids website – www.aiahighfivesforkids.ca.

SS&M Community Support Fund

In December 2023, SS&M sponsored a family of 6 through the Links2Care’s annual Holiday Giving Program. This program relieves some of the financial pressures that many families feel at this time of year by providing gifts to children in need.

In December 2023, the support fund made a donation of two $100 gift certificates to a family in need in Windsor, Ontario to help ease some of their financial worries this Christmas.

In December 2022, the SS&M Community Support Fund made a donation of gift cards and Christmas gifts to a family through the Links2Care Holiday Giving Program in Halton Hills which provides Christmas gifts to families in need during the holiday season.

In December 2021, the SS&M Community Support Fund made a $500 donation to The Canadian Red Cross in British Columbia to help the B.C. flood victims. This donation was matched by SS&M making this a $1000 donation.

In December 2021, the SS&M Community Support Fund made a donation of gift cards and Christmas gifts to a family through the Links2Care Holiday Giving Program in Halton Hills which provides Christmas gifts to families in need during the holiday season.

In November 2020, the SS&M Community Support Fund made a $250 gift card donation to the Links2Care Holiday Giving Program in Halton Hills which provides Christmas gifts to families in need during the holiday season.

In June 2020, SS&M employees donated $5,500 through AIA High Fives for Kids Foundation to support local Food Banks across the country and help those in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In December 2019, SS&M sponsored a family through the Links2Care’s annual Holiday Giving Program. This program relieves some of the financial and peer pressures that many families feel at this time of year by providing gifts to children in need.

In January 2018, a $500 donation was made on behalf of SS&M’s Community Support Fund to an employee of Dempster’s Automotive Supplies in Barrie who is suffering from a serious health concern leaving her unable to work. We hope this donation was able to help with the financial burden faced by their long-time employee.

In December 2017, the SS&M Community Support Fund made a $500 VISA gift card donation to a family in need in Taber, Alberta. We were happy to be able to help this deserving family just in time for Christmas.

In October 2017, the SS&M Community Support Fund made a $600 donation to purchase a television for a silent auction fundraising event that was put on to help support a long-time WestCan employee in Merritt British Columbia who suffered a major stroke this past summer.

In December 2016, the SS&M Community Support Fund made two donations. The first was a $500 donation of food and gifts for families in need in Churchill Manitoba through the Churchill Hamper Program.

The second was a $250 donation to an organization also in Manitoba called Grannies Gone Global –http://www.granniesgoneglobal.com/. Grannies Gone Global is a non-profit organization which connects and supports grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren in Winnipeg’s North End. The organization helps many children whose biological parents are not involved for one reason or another.

In December 2015, the SS&M Community Support Fund sponsored a family of four in need through the the Halton Links2Care 2015 Holiday Giving Program. Through this program, sponsors purchase gifts of new warm winter clothing for children 0-12 and toiletries and gift cards for teens 13-18.

Halton Down Syndrome Association

For the past 6 years, SS&M has been an avid supporter of the Halton Down Syndrome Association (HDSA) by generously donating to the annual HDSA Go21 walk where families, friends, and supporters walk together to raise money and awareness for Down syndrome.

The money raised for HDSA provides immeasurable support to families of children and individuals with Down syndrome through bursary support and programs such as swimming lessons, music therapy, art therapy, therapeutic horseback riding, an amazing reading program, social events and so much more!

For more information on the Halton Down Syndrome Association and on the annual Go21 walk please visit – www.haltondownsyndrome.com.