Test drive a Chevy, fundraise for Habitat for Humanity
Kwantlen student group partners with Dueck GM to raise money for their upcoming trip to Fiji
Members of the KPU Builds team received the Vancouver Giants Medal of Valor at the March 10 hockey game at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. The group of 17 students will be traveling to Fiji in May to help build a community of 28 homes.
Photograph by: Matt Law , for Richmond News
If you’ve ever wanted to test drive a Cadillac CTS Coupe or a Chevy Camaro without the added pressure of a pushy salesperson, Kwantlen’s Richmond campus is the place to do it Wednesday (March 20).
KPU Builds, a student-led, non-profit group, has partnered with Dueck GM to fundraise for an upcoming trip to Fiji with Habitat for Humanity. For every person who takes one of the five cars for a free test drive, Dueck GM will donate $25.
“We’d heard that [Dueck GM] hosts local fundraising initiatives and thought this would allow us to get a lot of students and the community engaged,” said KPU Builds project team leader Iman Ghahremani.
Car enthusiasts have the option of taking a Cadillac CTS Coupe, a Chevy Camaro, a Chevy Volt, a Cadillac ATS or a Buick Encore for a spin between 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the Richmond campus.
KPU Builds was formed early this year after Ghahremani was inspired by a trip to Ghana.
“I’ve always had a passion for seeing the world in a global context,” said the 27-year-old who was born in Iran and now lives in Richmond. “We all have a duty to give back globally when we have the ability to do so.”
Starting a graduate degree in international development this fall, Ghahremani thought creating KPU Builds would be a good way to end his final year at Kwantlen and allow some students to get some hands-on experience.
About 200 students applied for the group and 17 were selected. Together, they represent all four campuses and all faculties at the university.
To date, KPU Builds has raised $27,000 through fundraising over the past two months and plans to hold a gala dinner and a silent auction before the 10-day trip in May.
They hope to raise a little over $50,000, with a portion of the money going towards local Habitat for Humanity initiatives.
Once in Fiji, the group will build a community of 28 homes, while developing a self-governing and sustainable way of life for the community.
They’ll be accompanied by six faculty members and administrators and will produce several blog posts about the experience as well as a short documentary about the trip.
For more information, visit www.kpubuilds.com.
