GROUP DORVAL-SOURCES-ST-HENRI principals Alex Trichas, Nick, Chris, and Andre Dimopolous, and right-hand man Gus Anagnostaras (far left) have spearheaded the Hope & Cope Foundation Walk-a-thon for 12 years, raising funds for the cause, and raising company morale too.

Even as the focus for so many aftermarket businesses has been on navigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the core values of the aftermarket as community leaders has continued, through donations, fundraising, and ongoing community support.

One of the longest running and most successful jobber-based fundraisers has been the annual ​Walk-a-thon for the Hope & Cope Foundation led each September by ​GROUP DORVAL-SOURCES-ST-HENRI, a three location network in the Greater Montreal Area.

Over the past dozen years, the event has raised some $700,000 for cancer patient care, with $73,000 being raised for Jewish General hospital last year alone.

Jobber Nation asked Dorval Auto Parts’ Alex Trichas, who takes the lead on the event, what the continued involvement means to the staff and ownership of GROUP DORVAL-SOURCES-ST-HENRI, their morale, and how they feel about their place in the community.

Alex Trichas: The staff is proud to be part of this event. We actually talk about it all year-long: before, during and after.

When we prepare the event, we get excited because the Walk-a-thon is like an annual reunion, there a lot of “old timers” that participate every year.

And also new faces that join, which is always great to see.  

In the following weeks, there is always an excitement to tally all the donations received. The “final total” is communicated to all the staff, they ask about it and it feels like a success for all of us when we reach a higher amount than the previous year.

Once donations are given to Hope & Cope, the owners are invited at the Center for a ceremony and pictures. These pictures are emailed to all employees the next day, and they all reply to congratulate another successful walk-a-thon.

And then we start thinking about the next year!

JN: How does it make you feel about it?

AT; We are proud to show our support as a company and as individuals. Every year, we aim for a higher amount of donation, it’s a goal that gives us a lot of motivation. And when we think about the cumulative amount over the past years, $700,000, we’re proud and thankful to all those who donated, staff, friends and family, customers, suppliers, business partners, etc.  

JN: What would you tell others in this industry–known for its philanthropy–about the impact corporately of such charitable involvement?

AT: It’s important to give back when you can. Yes it takes time and energy, but it’s a great way to get involved and show you care. It’s important to lead by example and show what your values are.

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