Wildlife rescue wins new Toyota for 'the babies'
<p>Little “Cliff” the deer recovering at Mystic Farm Wildlife Rescue. The animal was injured when it was dropped by an eagle, and landed on a rock ledge.</p>
SAGLE — Thanks to the support of locals and other helpful individuals around the country, Mystic Farm Wildlife Rescue has a new set of wheels.
As a participant in Toyota’s “100 Cars For Good” program, Mystic Farm faced off against four other nonprofits around the country for a new Toyota vehicle. Its fans came through — Mystic Farm handily won the Friday vote and will be receiving a Toyota Tundra pickup truck at the end of the year for everyone’s efforts.
“It really validates what goes on at Mystic Farm — that it’s all about giving the babies a second chance and the stewardship of our precious natural resources,” Mystic Farm director Dory McIsaac said.
“100 Cars For Good” is a philanthropic initiative by Toyota designed to provided 100 nonprofits across the country with a free Toyota model of their choice.
The motor company selected 500 organizations to participate in the contest, and then challenged the public to vote for their favorites on the program’s Facebook page. The winning organization received the vehicle, while the others got a $1,000 grant.
In the case of Mystic Farm, the results weren’t even close. Mystic Farm Wildlife Rescue took more than 50 percent of the vote — surpassing all the other organizations combined.
Now that the contest is over, the fun parts begin. Toyota has sent McIsaac all the necessary paperwork to fill out for her free vehicle, and part of that is customizing it the way she sees fit. McIsaac will be able to choose whether she want two or four-wheel drive, the towing package and even a descending list of preferred vehicle colors.
In fact, McIsaac said she might just take a trip to Parker Toyota in Coeur d’Alene to look at the different options in person.
“At first, when someone asked me about what color I would get, I said, ‘Are you kidding? I don’t care if it’s florescent pink!’” McIsaac said. “But now I’m really excited to pick something out.”
The vehicle will look even better after it arrives thanks to the owners of local business Mountain Sky, who have offered to apply graphics on the truck for free. That’s just another example of the support that has overwhelmed Mystic Farm in recent months, and McIsaac said she has a lot of people to thank for their assistance.
“This is just so humbling,” she said. “I appreciate the support so much.”
Throughout the preparations for the contest, community members were active in spreading the word. Individuals called up their friends and family and reminded them to vote, bringing in lines of support from all across the country.