CANTON – TJ Toyota of Potsdam owner Ed Cloce and Toyota Motor Corporation have contributed matching gifts to the SUNY Canton College Foundation.

Cloce, president of TJ Toyota and a1959 automotive technology alumnus, recently presented SUNY Canton President Dr. Joseph L. Kennedy with a check following a donation to the college by his parent company.

TJ Toyota recently expanded and completed a major facility upgrade. In recognition of the achievement, the New York regional offices of Toyota Motor Sales USA made a donation on behalf of Cloce to the SUNY Canton College Foundation to benefit the college's automotive program. Cloce matched the gift with an unrestricted donation to the SUNY Canton Foundation in honor of Kennedy.

"Mr. Cloce has been an active and supportive alumnus who cares deeply about the success and continued growth of the College," Kennedy said. "He's demonstrated his ongoing commitment to our College at many levels by helping develop our students' learning experiences and by hiring many of our graduates."

"Together with his previous donations, Mr. Cloce has donated approximately $50,000 in assets and funding to the SUNY Canton College Foundation," said SUNY Canton Vice President for Advancement David M. Gerlach. "We can't thank him enough for his support of our programs and our administration."

Cloce previously donated a Toyota Prius during the SUNY Canton Centennial Campaign, in addition to establishing the Ed and Clara Cloce Scholarship in 1989. The family's scholarship provides annual funding for one student enrolled in the College's Canino School of Engineering Technology. Combined, the donations totaled approximately $3,000.

A portion of the funding will be used to purchase new equipment for servicing late model and hybrid vehicles in the college's state-of-the-art automotive laboratories.

"We made this donation because of the extraordinary accomplishments the college has achieved under the guidance of President Kennedy," Cloce said. "It is my hope that my donations help SUNY Canton students remember and value their education."

Cloce is a member of the SUNY Canton College Foundation Board of Directors and a member of the automotive program's advisory board. He received the Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award at the College's 101st Commencement Ceremony in 2009.