CARSTAR Torcam Group celebrates successful fourth annual toy drive for Salvation Army
Since 2021, the CARSTAR Torcam Group, led by Sebastian Torres, Javier Torres, and Liliana Camacho, has made spreading holiday cheer a tradition through an annual toy drive benefitting the local community. This year, the group’s four locations, CARSTAR Brantford, CARSTAR Brantford West, CARSTAR Simcoe, and CARSTAR Tillsonburg, once again united to make a meaningful difference by collecting thousands of toys for the Salvation Army. Sebastian Torres, who has led the initiative each year, shared the personal significance of this event.
“This initiative is special to me. The first year it was unveiled, I explained to all of our employees that when we first arrived in Canada as refugees, we came in August of 2004, so we spent our first Christmas as very fresh newcomers to the country. We were used to spending Christmas surrounded by a lot of family, and this would be our first one alone.
“Money was tight, and our parents couldn’t afford us the gifts we were accustomed to. It was programmed like this which made our Christmas very special. Of course, it sounds very materialistic, but as children, you don’t comprehend the difficulties around the situation. Funny enough, it’ll be a Christmas that I’ll never forget, for positive reasons.”
Sebastian went on to explain how the toy drive has grown over the years: “Every year we really do try our best to make it bigger than the last and hopefully gather as many toys as we can. We have switched back and forth between gathering toys and sponsoring families as well, but the past couple of years we’ve just tried to gather as many toys as we can to touch as many families as possible. Looking forward to this one, it’s starting strong, so I hope it’ll be a good one.”
Through the toy drive, the Torcam Group has raised more than $10,000 for the Salvation Army in just three years. This year’s drive promises to be even more successful, as all four CARSTAR locations have been drop-off centers for community members to contribute. The Salvation Army has served the communities of Simcoe, Tillsonburg, and Brantford for decades, providing essential support for families in need.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive community behind us,” said Sebastian. “The holiday season can be tough for so many families, and it’s heartwarming to know that together, we can make a real difference.” For more information, visit CARSTAR.ca.
ABOUT CARSTAR
CARSTAR is North America’s largest franchise network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities, with over 700 locations across 35 states and 10 Canadian provinces. A part of the Driven Brands family of automotive aftermarket franchise brands, CARSTAR delivers national scale, premier vehicle repairs, repeatable outcomes, and the industry’s highest customer satisfaction ratings. CARSTAR remains committed to giving back to the communities it serves through various fundraising initiatives, including raising over $4 million for cystic fibrosis research, care, and advocacy across North America. CARSTAR is actively seeking new franchise partners. Interested parties should contact 844-906-9764 or visit CARSTARfranchise.ca.
