It seems the entire collision repair industry rallied for the cause at the 2nd annual CARSTAR Golf Tournament, held in Saint-Hyacinthe on June 4. Launched last year by Jessy Dufresne, CARSTAR Rawdon and Saint-Félix-de-Valois franchisee, her daughter Ariane Gingras, administrative director, and Maria-Mélodie Jiménez, accounting technician at the same shops, the second edition of this event surpassed last year’s $35,000 raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, bringing in a total of $38,000.

The day, themed ‘A Drive for the Cause,’ was organized to support a good cause; the CARSTAR banner has been a partner of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation since 1997 and is one of its most significant private contributors in Canada.

Under favourable weather conditions, 138 players teed off on the course, while 211 people were expected for dinner. The organizers decided to return to the Saint-Hyacinthe golf club because the service there was exceptional the previous year, and its location is central and easily accessible.

“The people at the club helped us a lot, as organizing this type of event is not our specialty,” explained Jessy Dufresne, met on the course the morning of the tournament. “This year, we received support from other collision repair shops, notably from Charlesbourg, Saint-Hubert, and even La Tuque, which lightened our load. I also want to thank our team members, Eric, Maxime, Daniel, and Françoise, who embraced this adventure wholeheartedly.” What Ms. Dufresne particularly remembers is the remarkable pleasure of seeing all these people participate in the event. “We have an impressive number of generous sponsors who contributed to the event’s funding. Furthermore, several had booths at various holes with special activities or contests, with prizes awarded in the evening. We saw people from the CARSTAR network, suppliers, distributors, and insurers, all happy to reconnect.”

Throughout the course, beverages and refreshments awaited players, along with various skill contests.

Met at her booth, Natasha Akhavan of A.B. Warehouses explained her company’s participation: “You know, we must give back to our communities and help charitable causes. Several CARSTAR members support us in our assistance to children during the Mont-Tremblant 24-hour race. It’s only natural for us to be here today.” Like many sponsors, Ms. Akhavan noted the great attention to detail from the organizers.

This activity also resonates with Rémi Michaud, Quebec Regional Director at CARSTAR Canada, a direct beneficiary of research advancements in the fight against cystic fibrosis. “CARSTAR has supported this cause since 1997, and we see initiatives across Canada to raise funds for research. What I particularly like right now is that the success of this tournament stems from our franchisees’ willingness to get involved.”

Once the golf round concluded, players joined other guests for a cocktail hour while a four-course dinner was being prepared. The evening featured prize presentations and the sharing of many pleasant anecdotes.

There is no doubt that a new edition of this tournament is already in preparation, given the success of the second edition.