VIDEO: YMCA scores donation for summer camp at local dealership

As part of its March Madness Shoot to Win competition, Northside Toyota presented YMCA with a cheque for $3,050 on Wednesday in support of the inaugural summer day camp for children with autism

Workers at Northside Toyota invited customers inside their dealership Wednesday evening for their first-ever March Madness Shoot to Win competition in support of a new summer program at YMCA.

Called ‘Helping Hands Summer Day Camp,’ the YMCA’s inaugural program will provide a week of activities and fun for children who have autism or are on the neurodivergent scale.

Northside Toyota presented YMCA with a cheque for $3,050 to help eliminate the costs for some families looking to get their kids involved with the summer camp.

“We wanted to choose something related to sports, and the YMCA is a great thing in our community, and when they suggested their summer camp program for kids, it was a no-brainer,” says Mario Palumbo, the dealer principal at Northside Toyota.

Following the cheque presentation, 35 customers who purchased a new or used vehicle from Northside in the month of March took part in a shooting contest for the chance to win $3,000 of their own.

Joe Spina won the prize after being the only shooter to hit the basket from both the free throw and three-point lines.

Natasha Collett, the fundraising and marketing manager with YMCA, is incredibly appreciative of the support for their new program.

“We’re just really happy to be part of this,” she says. “We’re really happy we can provide this camp thanks to the donation from Toyota at no cost to some of these campers.”

Running from July 10-14, registration for Helping Hands Summer Day Camp is now open. Parents can sign up their kids by filling out the application online and submitting the form in-person.