Keeping up with a tradition of giving that has lasted for over six decades, the Toronto Star on Thursday donated a total of $125,915.18 to the United Way Greater Toronto.

The donation is a result of the company’s annual employee fundraising campaign, which raised $85,915.18, plus a corporate donation of an additional $40,000.

Star publisher and Torstar CEO John Boynton praised the staff’s spirit of giving, noting the company is one of United Way’s founding workplaces and has been actively participating in raising funds for the charity.

Boynton said the motivation to effect change in people’s lives is what drives the Star’s journalism work, the same as raising dollars to help people through the United Way’s initiatives.

“Looking out for those who are less fortunate or those who need a little bit of help, that’s what we do in our newspapers, that’s what we do in our mobile app, in our newsletters,” he said. “This is us. This is like our DNA.”

United Way CEO Daniele Zanotti thanked Torstar Group for running sustained campaigns over the years, especially board chair John Honderich who has been involved with United Way for decades.

Torstar’s leadership in keeping the campaign going is inspiring, Zanotti said. About a thousand workplaces across the GTA raise funds for United Way, some of them even engaging in “the silliest” things like dunking CEOs in tanks or eating large amounts of pancakes and samosas. Torstar’s approach is “unique” because it brings a “show and tell” lens to the campaign, he said.

Stories and headlines about youth violence, homelessness, opioid crisis and affordable housing contribute to bringing more donations to United Way and helping many people get out of these difficult situations and succeed in life, Zanotti said.

“You’re actually driving care,” he said. “You’re not just a passive storyteller in this, you are the protagonist in the lives and pictures you share for United Way.”