- PHOTO – Front L to R: Orrin Kroon – Highest Individual Ticket Seller at Visalia Toyota, Mindy Rolland – Guild Member, Wally Roeben – IAC Show Operations Manager, Jerry Sinift – IAC CEO, Connie McClaskey – Guild Chair, Teresa Fierro – Director, Guilds and Network Events, Nancy Staggs – Guild Member, Jim Holguin – IAC Sponsorship Sales Manager Back: Dana Johnson – Guild Member
Tulare, CA – The International Agri-Center®, World Ag Expo®, and the Central Valley Toyota Dealers presented a check in the amount of $68,400 to the Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare on July 9 in Tulare, CA.
While COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2021 World Ag Expo® live event, the Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare created pandemic-friendly ways to sell drawing tickets. Through phone calls and sales at Central Valley Toyota dealerships, Guild members were able to raise a significant amount of money to support Valley Children’s Healthcare for the seventh year in a row.
“The Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare are honored to continue the partnership with the World Ag Expo and Toyota,” said Connie McClaskey, Chair of the Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare. “While COVID-19 was challenging in many ways, the community rallied behind our mission in an incredible way. We’re grateful for the support and are looking forward to an eighth year.”
The World Ag Expo® Toyota Tundra Giveaway check represented the total funds raised by the Guilds who participated in World Ag Expo’s® Toyota Tundra Giveaway by selling chances to win a new 2021 Tundra. The proceeds from the giveaway directly benefit Valley Children’s.
The Tundra truck, won by Linda M. of Fresno, was donated by the Central Valley Toyota Dealers, through their role as the Official Truck of World Ag Expo®.
“We are so pleased that Toyota stayed committed to this fundraiser despite COVID-19,” said Jerry Sinift, Chief Executive Officer, International Agri-Center®. “Valley Children’s Healthcare is an asset to our Valley and we are always proud to work with Toyota to support the hospital.”
Central Valley Toyota dealers helped increase pandemic ticket sales by competing for the top ticket-selling spot. With Toyota of Clovis leading the way in the final week of sales, the Madera Toyota team kicked up their efforts and nabbed the top spot. With the win, they also earned the chance to host the live on-air drawing hosted by KMPH Fox 26 on Friday, April 30.
The 2022 World Ag Expo® Toyota Tundra Giveaway, benefiting Valley Children’s Healthcare, is set to kick off ticket sales this fall.
###
The International Agri-Center® is home to World Ag Expo®, February 8-10, 2022 in Tulare, California. An estimated annual average of 100,000 individuals from 70 countries attend World Ag Expo® each year. The largest annual agricultural show of its kind, World Ag Expo® hosts more than 1,400 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show grounds. For more information, visit www.worldagexpo.org.
In 1949, Valley Children’s began as the vision of five civic-minded women who saw the need for a dedicated pediatric hospital in Central California. Valley Children’s Healthcare has grown from a 42-bed hospital in 1952 to a 358-bed, nationally respected pediatric healthcare network today. Valley Children’s delivers high-quality, comprehensive care to more than 1.3 million children in our 12-county service area.
All proceeds from the World Ag Expo® Toyota Tundra Giveaway will benefit the Guilds Center for Community Health with a $5 million commitment from the Guilds. The Guilds Center for Community Health is the first of its kind in the Central Valley, bridging the exceptional care kids receive within Valley Children’s network and the health impacts our children experience where they live, learn and play.
The Central Valley Toyota Dealers have been a sponsor of World Ag Expo® for more than five years, each year providing the Toyota Tundra for the giveaway, as well as helping raise funds for the partnered charity.