Oshawa has always been known as Motor City, and now the Durham Deaf Services (DDS) plans to drive money towards their organization with a car rally.
To coincide with Durham Deaf Services’ 40th anniversary, the DDS is hosting its first major, non-profit, independent fundraising event in over three years.
Aly Beach, the marketing chair for the DDS, says the event will be “a car-based scavenger hunt.”
“It’s not a race. It’s basically just who can get everything done the fastest,” she said. “We have some auctions, and art event and it’s supposed to be a really fun event.”
The car rally scavenger hunt will allow teams to discover landmarks, solve puzzles to collect points, and have a chance to win prizes.
The event is on April 22 at 900 King St. E, Oshawa, and starts at 9:30 a.m. Teams can enter for $45 per car, with a maximum capacity of four people per car.
The DDS website encourages participants to decorate their cars for the event, with points awarded for creativity. Costumes are also welcomed and will give additional points to those who participate.
According to a press release by the DDS, all funds raised will go to DDS programs and services such as the Deaf Adult Upgrading program, which provides adults who want to improve their sign language in reading, writing, math, and employment preparation.
The DDS also offers two American sign language courses: Introduction to ASL for Children, which covers sign language basics, and Signing Naturally for more advanced lessons.
Maggie Doherty-Gilbert, executive director of the Durham Deaf Services, says “increasing awareness for the DDS” and funding for their programs are the primary outcomes of this car rally.
While this car rally is the first independent event hosted by the DDS in three years, Aly Beach assures that events like this will not stop here.
“We don’t have any super major plans just yet, but we have some new faces on the fundraising committee, so I’m sure we’ll have something happening. We do occasionally host raffle events online and host children’s parties during the summer,” she said.