KIA’s commitment to community building
Automaker a proud partner of Special Olympics Canada as it celebrates its 20th anniversary of selling vehicles in Canada
With almost 24 years in the automotive industry now under my belt, I have come to realize that, while sales and profits may be the metrics we are often measured on, our fundamental business is not about these numbers or the cars that satisfy them. Our business is about providing Canadians with access to a quality means of transportation so that they can live their lives.
When we do our jobs right, more Canadians can get to work, take their children to school, visit their friends, and do all of the things that allow our communities to thrive. But, as is usually the case, there is always more that can and should be done, which is why this year has been such a time of pride for myself and everyone at Kia Canada.
Despite all of the new and exciting products and all the wonderful awards that we have won, our reinvigorated commitment to community has been the resounding highlight for everyone at Kia Canada this year. As a proud partner of Special Olympics Canada, our team took great strides to help Canadians with intellectual disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else — the opportunity to play, learn, compete and grow as part of a team and a community.
In addition to our financial and vehicle contributions, our team spent time getting to know the exceptional athletes to identify how we could do more. We have used our marketing channels to help spread their message of inclusion. We have been on site at their National Summer Games to hand out medals and, with the help of our dealers, we raised more than $165,000 of additional funds during the month of July in celebration of the organization’s 50th anniversary.
All of these efforts are not the least we can do — they are the first of many things we plan to do. In fact, later this month, we will announce another big initiative that will provide even more support in a way that only we, in our industry can. And, as we move into 2019 and celebrate our 20th year in Canada, we plan to continue working with Special Olympics Canada and other organizations that provide us with an avenue to make a difference in the local communities that make this country great.
I take great pride in representing Kia’s community efforts, and applaud my competitors that do the same. We may all be competing for sales and profits, but I believe we have a responsibility to also push ourselves and each other to do even more for our communities. If we can be brave in our attempts to put more back into Canadian communities while still maintaining our focus on the bottom line, then we will have achieved something amazing.
For that, I am committed — and I will follow the Special Olympics credo to push myself and my team at Kia Canada to do more: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”