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Orangeville Canadian Tire hosts silent auction and fundraiser for Jumpstart charity initiative

June 24, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Orangeville Canadian Tire is running a June fundraising campaign and locally sourced silent auction in support of its Jumpstart charity, which helps disadvantaged local athletes.

Campaign organizer Leslie Breen said the program helps make sports more accessible for children facing financial barriers.

“Jumpstart is a charity that Canadian Tire is involved with exclusively; it’s a Canadian Tire charity,” she said. “We raise money for children, underprivileged children, those that can’t afford to play sports. Our goal is to help elevate them and get them into sports.”

Breen added, “They can apply to Jumpstart for funds for equipment in whatever sport they decide to play, be it hockey, lacrosse, and so on, and then Canadian Tire gives them the equipment they need.

The fundraiser, which began in 2005, is supported this year by a silent auction at the Orangeville store, as 2025’s fundraiser fell short of its goal when it relied solely on donations at checkout.

“The only way we collected donations was through the checkout, where it would prompt the customer to see if they would like to donate, and I didn’t meet my goal,” Breen said. “So this year I decided on my own to run this silent auction. In my experience, when people donate, they want something back from that, so now there are locally made items available to bid on.”

Breen said that many items are made by people directly involved with Canadian Tire and include custom paintings, candles, woodworking items, and more. Gift certificates for businesses, such as golf courses, were also available.

To help support the fundraiser and silent auction, local 2025 IFMA Youth World Champion Oshiya Newby-Morgan visited the Canadian Tire to promote the fundraising campaign and Muay Thai.

Newby-Morgan recently travelled to Dubai to compete in the Muay Thai championship as part of Team Canada, where she won gold.

She said she hopes to raise more local awareness and support for youth athletes. She said her story isn’t something she really expected, but the experience was life-changing.

“Here with Jumpstart, I hope to support and bring awareness to young boys and girls who already aren’t so familiar with Muay Thai,” she said. “It felt surreal to be in Abu Dhabi, to compete and to win. I would have never thought that I was gonna be able to go across the world, so coming back as a champion and being able to be a part of the jumpstart, I never thought it would happen, but here we are.”

Newby-Morgan offered some advice for young athletes to carry with them.

“It’s gonna get bumpy at times,” she said. “But just keep training and be persistent, and honestly, just stay humble, and don’t rush the process. The process will come to you, and you’ll be able to ride the wave.”

With a dedicated team and a local success story to support them, Breen said that the Orangeville Canadian Tire remains committed to fundraising and investing in local youth athletes.

They also remain thankful for the continued support of Orangeville Canadian Tire Associate Dealer Bill Lisowsky.

To learn more, go to jumpstart.canadiantire.ca

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