Summit GM has been a part of the Fort McMurray community for over three years now. During that time, we’ve sold thousands of vehicles to people all over Northern Alberta. We’re known for our GM vehicles, but being a part of the community is so much more than that.

We often find ourselves in a unique position to help those in need, promote community spirit and contribute to Fort McMurray’s culture. It’s quite an honor to be able to make the city a better place, so we’re always on the lookout for ways to give back to a community that has already given us so much.

Thank you to everyone who supports us! Here’s just a few of the community building events we’re a part of:

Wood Buffalo Food Bank

Summit GM teamed up with the Wood Buffalo Food Bank, and lucky Summit customers participated in the Grocery Grab – an annual event where each participant has 60 seconds to dash through the aisles of the local Save On Food supermarket grabbing as much free merchandise as possible. Employees, media and local personalities also ran the event, with everything collected going to the Wood Buffalo Food Bank. The loot, ripe with baby diapers, formula and dairy, certainly helped families in need over the holiday season.

Festival of Trees

Speaking of the holiday season, in November Summit GM also participated in Fort McMurray’s Festival of Trees. Organized by the Northern Lights Health Foundation, this annual festival brings together over 300 volunteers and over 8,500 guests. The three-day event includes numerous celebrations and social events, gift shops, tree viewing and local entertainment.

Melanie Antoine, Chair of the Health Foundation’s Board of Directors, says, “Every year this event is spectacular and filled with seasonal elements for every age to enjoy. As a sponsor, donor, and Board member the weekend fills me with pride in the generosity of the people of the region and I am delighted to share the results of the fundraising with everyone.”

Summit GM was proud to purchase an assortment of decorated trees, raising funds for the local health foundation. In total, the festival raised $640,000. Over the past 29 years, Festival of Trees has raised over $8.5 million to support health care in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Summer Sounds Music Festival

Summit GM sponsored Summer Sounds - Fort McMurray’s newest hometown music festival celebrating music of many genres. Each year, music-loving festival goers indulge in up-and-coming and established artists. This single day festival is a concert experience everyone can enjoy, and an all-ages venue for friends and family to come together and enjoy the sounds of Summer.

Scholastic Causes

We support the community by handing out multiple scholarships in the field of mechanics, helping students get a head start in their academic lives and in the workplace. Childhood nutrition is also important, and we made sure the students at Father Beauregard school were well fed by providing fruit cups that fuelled their journey towards knowledge. This was done in partnership with Fort McMurray’s Nutritious Lunch Program.

Sporting Events

Sport is often a cornerstone of community pride, and we work hard to get involved in the lives of promising athletes – from rugby to some of the strongest people on the planet.

In 2018 we were a proud sponsor of the Fort McMurray Rugby Festival. We also sponsored a number of golf tournaments, raising money for charities across Canada. This includes the Toolbox Open – an interactive golf tournament for contractors and businesses who have been working hard to rebuild our community.

We also sponsored the city’s Strongman Competition and Classic Car Show, with money raised going to the Fort McMurray Food Bank Association. The event featured Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson ‘The Mountain’ from Game of Thrones, and was a wild success – bringing the community together with strength.

Get Involved

As Trevor Christensen, General Manager of Summit GM, puts it “We’re here to serve the people of Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo. Anything Summit GM can do to improve the lives of everyone here, whether by sponsoring events or giving to charitable causes, is important – and we are very proud of all the people who come together to make this a great place to live and raise a family. We are excited to support such a great community, and the people here make that all possible.”

We’re always looking for new and exciting ways to continue to support our neighbours. Do you have a cause you’d like Summit GM to help put in the spotlight? Reach out to us directly, and let us know what you’re up to!

Summit GM is giving away $1000 per week for 52 weeks, to the Fort McMurray community, as part of our Summit GM Gives Back program.

We’ve loved being part of the community for the last several years, and want to go a step further. Applications are open, and we would love to hear from you.

But for now, here are the four Wood Buffalo organizations that will be receiving $1,000 each for the month of May:

Autism Society
Of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

The Autism Society RMWB began as a support group created by parents of children with ASD. Since then, the group has established Kids First Camp – a specialized program to meet the unique needs of children in RMWB through a summer camp many kids would otherwise not be able to attend.

In 2014, the group partnered with the Autism Society of Alberta to provide community events for children and families. Continuing to develop, a Board was formed in 2016 and the group opened an office and began plans to form a Society.

In 2017, the group received their certificate of incorporation through the Government of Alberta and became a registered charity.

Habitat for Humanity
Wood Buffalo

Habitat for Humanity offer affordable housing to those in need. Through reduced reliance on Social Services, as well as better educational and employment outcomes, Habitat homeowners are happier, healthier and more financially secure.

Families who partner with Habitat purchase their home through an affordable mortgage and complete at least 500 volunteer hours with Habitat.

The group also partners with Indigenous communities in Wood Buffalo to improve the living conditions of Indigenous communities on and off reserve, to introduce sustainable housing.

Local Hero Foundation

The Local Hero Foundation began in 1991, when Pheonix Heli-Flight began providing ad-hoc helicopter medevac service to the Wood Buffalo region.  Since then, thousands of patients have received care for motor vehicle collisions, workplace accidents, medical emergencies and more.Prior to 2013, medevac operations were limited to daylight hours and specific weather conditions, however as the population and level of activity in Wood Buffalo increased, a higher level of service was needed.

Since 2013, the Local HERO (Helicopter Emergency Response Organization) Foundation has had the goal of providing 24/7 dedicated medevac helicopter coverage for the region. In 2014, the foundation acquired a new EC135 T2+ helicopter equipped with night vision capability, and has flown 350 medevac missions in the last five years.

Westview Public School
Breakfast Program

The Breakfast Program at Westview public school in Fort McMurray, has been providing nutritious breakfasts to students for the past five years. The service is free for all, and gives students the energy to start their day right and learn throughout the day.

Teachers have noticed improved learning outcomes, as well as social benefits for children who take part in the program. Many children would otherwise not have a nutritious meal to start the day, and the program provides cold cereal, milk, juice, and fruit to fuel student’s eager young minds, as well as special menu’s such as pancakes.

Westview Public School relies on community sponsors to make this all possible, and we are proud to support them and our other partners, and contribute to the future of Fort McMurray's children.