by Neya Abdi
posted on October 29, 2019
There’s an old proverb that goes, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Going far was the idea we had in mind when we invited hosts from our two biggest Canadian markets — Toronto and Montreal — to participate in the 28th CIBC Run for the Cure as part of Team Turo.
Our hosts ditched the wheels for the day and joined thousands of people across the country in the annual run.
While the goal of the event is to participate in any way you can — running isn’t mandatory — we thought it’d be nice to engage in some friendly competition for an important cause and see which city got the fastest run time.
But coming in first came in second to our primary goal: supporting the Canadian Cancer Society. Team Turo raised $1,500 in donations, contributing to the CCS’s total fundraise of $17 million nationwide. Now that’s a number worth honking for!
Turo runnin’ through the 6ix
Where: University of Toronto, St. George Campus, followed by brunch at Harvest Kitchen where hosts exchanged tips, tricks, and feedback with Turo staff
There was no shortage of hosts on hand to join Team Turo in the 6ix. We were thrilled to run as a Toronto team of 17 that consisted of All-Star Hosts, new hosts, and Turo staff.
For Hashim K., the run was an opportunity to meet other Turo hosts while also contributing to a meaningful initiative.
“I wanted to get involved in the Turo community, meet new people, have fun, and support a good cause,” the All-Star Host explained. “The run was a ton of fun. I beat my personal 5 kilometre time record and [it] felt great to support a good cause.”
Meanwhile, for Tamara J., who came out to run with her boyfriend Gabriel T., participation was more personal. In 2016, Tamara lost her mother to metastatic breast cancer. For her and Gabriel, the run was bittersweet, serving both as a tribute to her mother’s memory and support for a future cure.
“To do [the run] with a great team like Turo was really awesome,” Gabriel told us. “It’s always a great time meeting other hosts and seeing the enormous support at these charity events. Very heartwarming.”
The run and the brunch that followed was also a chance for hosts to swap stories and reflect on their time in the community so far.
“I read about Turo originally years back on a US car forum and when I found out that they launched in Canada I had to give them a try,” says Gabriel. “I started being a Turo host in May of 2018 when I was an unemployed student and needed a way to supplement my income and pay for my vehicles.”
Now, he’s an involved member of the Turo family who’s happy to share tips with newcomers. He encourages any new hosts to reach out to Turo hosts like himself or hit up a member of the Turo staff with questions or assistance.
“The community is very friendly and always willing to help each other out and give tips to people who are unfamiliar with the platform and hesitant to get started.”
You can visit Tamara’s personal page and tribute to her mother on the Canadian Cancer Society’s website.
Taking a trek in Quebec for a good cause
Where: Parc Frédéric-Back and brunch at L’Gros Luxe Mile End.
In Montreal, our team of 9 consisted of seasoned hosts and Turo staff, including Philipp B. who is a bona fide Turo celebrity. He created the Facebook group, Turo Canada, in 2018. The group is a sounding board and online meeting place for over 200 hosts across Canada.
For Philipp, turning up for the run was a no brainer.
“I am a big believer in prioritizing our health and support charities that have this in their focus,” explained Phillipp. In the past, he’s attended other events organized by the Canadian Cancer Society.
His tips for new Turo hosts?
“Document as much as possible in photos and messages. Search the FAQ when in doubt and ask your peers for help on Turo Canada.”
The Montreal team also included Guillaume B. an OG Turo member who booked a car back in 2016 when Turo was still rolling around the U.S. as RelayRides. The moment he heard Turo was coming to Canada, he listed his car on the platform.
His advice for new Turo hosts is to start slow, and list one car at a time, so you can get comfortable with the process. He emphasizes learning about all the settings and features, so that you know what you need to do on the platform to maximize your earnings.
For Yaniel T., the biggest pain point the platform initially solved was one many Montrealers are familiar with: parking.
“I was having some headache finding parking places in the street, which is horrible in Montreal, and I even got some tickets [for reading parking signs wrong]. So Turo gave me the opportunity to make extra cash, [spend] less time looking for parking signs, and also be part of the sharing economy.”
He’s a huge fan of the platform and the technical support it offers both hosts and guests, including the rich sense of community it encourages especially through initiatives like participating in the run.
“Turo gave us a great opportunity to support our communities by participating in this great event: CIBC Run for the Cure,” says Yaniel. “A great team spirit prevailed during the event among the Turo hosts…This was a great initiative and I hope will repeat in the future.”
