Driven to Find a Cure
Toyota District Sales Manager Mary Farnham participated in Bergstrom Toyota’s Drive for a Cure event last October. The dealer has donated nearly $500,000 for breast cancer research over the past 11 years.
It’s more than a motto to the father-son team behind Bergstrom Toyota of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They’ve been on the frontlines of that battle for 11 years now
“With one in eight women affected by breast cancer, chances are everyone’s had someone close to them go through it,” says Tim Bergstrom, president and COO of Bergstrom Automotive. “So, my father and I felt an obligation to do this for our community.”
Tim and his father hosted the group’s 11th annual “Drive for a Cure” charity event in October. Guests came out in freezing temperatures to sign 100 cars in memory of loved ones or in dedication to those battling the disease. That included Toyota District Sales Manager Mary Farnham. She drove several hours to honor Diane Romeo, who passed away from breast cancer in 2018.
“It was so emotional. I wrote her name on one of the cars,” Farnham says. “It’s in the hope of helping others who are going through something so difficult in their lives.”
Per tradition, Farnham and other guests then drove assigned vehicles along an 11-mile guided course. For each mile clocked, Bergstrom Automotive donated $1 to breast cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center. The group raised nearly $49,000 this year. Since the event’s inception, Bergstrom Automotive has donated over $500,000 to breast cancer research.
“To see a person drive a car in the memory of someone they lost is incredible,” says Bergstrom. “Giving back is part of our culture and our team is incredibly proud of it. We find common ground making a difference together.”
