Motorheads Performance
As publisher of Classic Car News, I sometimes receive news releases from organizations wanting to publicize their events or noteworthy news. Today I received an announcement from Lori Zaharek from Survive The Drive, a Connecticut non-profit designed to help deliver driver safety programs and defensive driving classes to high schools and other community groups in their area. With the rash of recent fatalities and serious accidents we have had in San Antonio in recent months, and just days after my own article on a teenager's near-death from distracted driving, I think we all see that driver safety is important, especially for our youth.
Lori explained an interesting initiative launched by Toyota, a large San Antonio employer, to seek out non-profit organizations across the country that provide worthy services.
Survive The Drive has been selected as one of 500 nonprofit finalists in Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program, a major philanthropic initiative in which the automaker is giving away 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days. Each day, during the program, 100 Cars for Good will profile five finalists at the website 100carsforgood. Individuals from all over the country will be able to vote for which ever nonprofit they think can do the most good with a new vehicle. The nonprofit with the most votes at the end of their voting day will win one of six Toyota models. Runners-up will each receive a $1,000 cash grant from Toyota.
What Survive The Drive Does For Their Community
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| Survive The Drive |
Bob Green, Executive Director, focuses the students on the detrimental activities of texting, reading, drinking, phoning and other distracted driving activities. Bob calls this type of driving "Driving While Oblivious" (DWO) which results in driver error in 93% of all crashes!
How To Cast Your Vote
The actual voting date for Survive the Drive is August 16, 2012, but you can pledge now by clicking on Cars For Good's Facebook Page, then click the green VOTE button. Go to Day 95 where you can place your pledge to vote. Survive the Drive will send you a reminder to vote as August 16th draws close.
For more information or to book a presentation, please contact Lori Zaharek, Marketing Director at 860-671-1430, loriz@survivethedrive.org, or Bob Green, Executive Director, and visit their website at wwwsurvivethedrive.org.
About Toyota
Toyota established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants in eight states. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design facilities. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from U.S. suppliers totals more than $23 billion.
Toyota is deeply committed to being a great community partner and is focused on supporting programs in ways that achieve long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, with a particular concentration on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs across the U.S.
Author's Note:
Although this blog distributes to people all around the country, and the world, I realize that some people would rather contribute to their own communities. I still think it's important to share interesting ideas. Reading what other communities are doing in an effort to protect our youth and promote safe driving can inspire us, in our own communities, to become active, and seek out or establish programs of our own. One much-needed program in San Antonio is to help prevent the wrong-way driving which has become so prevalent and deadly! Perhaps we can take note of what Survive The Drive is doing and come up with some creative programs as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.
