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In the early ‘70s, Dave and Ella Dick became aware of a medical threat to children in Haiti that was to change their lives. The threat was tuberculosis. They visited Haiti to see for themselves and were aghast at the extent of this dreadful disease. On thei
r return, Dave got in touch with International Child Care, a global agency that raises funds to combat tuberculosis and he became a major player in the fight against TB in children. The group has helped finance the expansion of a hospital for 200 children in Port au Prince, in a former ambassador’s residence. Their work has now spread to the children of Dominican Republic. Dave attends board meetings every year and still keeps active in the organization, while Niagara Motors is also an active supporter of the group’s work. Ella Dick has worked alongside her husband for the effort and, in the ‘70s, started raising money for Haiti through The Niagara Handbell Ringers and Singers, with which she had been involved for many years. She raised funds by taking the choir to Germany as well as performing in front of the Queen Mother in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Through these performances, the choir was invited to London, England, where the group performed in Westminster Abbey. At one point there were three choirs, which performed in many cities and several countries, including a performance at Expo in 1985. Dave and Ella Dick have always been intimately involved in working for the community in which they live. For many years, Niagara Motors had its own fastball team, on which their son, Greg, was a major player, and which won the Canadian Fastball Championship. They won silver in the World Championship in Tacoma, Washington. Whether it was sponsoring minor sports, becoming involved in the business of the town, the education of the children or the recreational health of the community, the Dick family and their business have always been there. For many years, Dave was on the Niagara District School Board, a member of the Cottage Hospital board and was a founder and first president of the Virgil Businessmen’s Association. He was part of the group that selected and built the Virgil Arena as a Centennial project in 1967, and soon after facilitated the Virgil Stampede. Both Dave and Ella have won individual Citizen of the Year award for their volunteer work. On the business front, the Chamber of Commerce named Niagara Motors Company of the Year for 2001. And though the name of Virgil Businessmen’s Association has now been changed to Virgil Business Association, there’s still a Dave Dick involved, albeit the Junior Dave.
“Giving back to the community is part and parcel of conducting a business,” says Dave Jr. “It’s a way of showing you recognize and appreciate the support you receive. But more than that, it’s how you become involved in a part of the personal day to day life of your own neighbourhood, and how you can make a difference for the good of the community as a whole.”
