Courtesy: Mazda
We all know charity begins at home. But now thanks to one of the country’s leading automakers, charity can begin with a test drive.
Mazda is committed to improving the quality of life for the local communities where it does business through its charitable program, Mazda Drive for Good™. By creating partnerships with four national charities and more than 40 local organizations (to be named at a later date), Mazda’s charitable efforts are accelerating for 2014.
Last year, Mazda North American Operations started its MazdaDrive for Good™ program, donating $100 for every new Mazda sold or leased between November 24th, 2013 and January 2nd, 2014. It proved a huge success, with more than $2.7 million being distributed among four national partner charities or more than 30 other regional organizations, customers themselves had a say on where the monetary donations would go.
But supporting local communities is about more than just writing a check, perhaps even more impressive than the dollar numbers may have been the many hours of time donated by Mazda employees.
For every test drive of a Mazda vehicle at the country’s more than 630 dealerships during the promotion, the company and its staff pledged an hour of charitable service. All told, more than 56,000 hours were committed to programs all over the country.
Now this year’s program is set to begin, running through the New Year, and the company is excited to do more. Mazda has announced it will increase the per car donation amount to $150.*
In addition to the hours of volunteer work for worthy causes, financial support for specific community efforts has been critical in places like Chicago, where a donation from Mazda Drive for Good™ provided a much-needed boost for one of the city’s largest food banks.
“Because of supporters like the Illinois and Indiana Mazda dealers,” said Kate Maehr, executive director of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, “we will continue striving to end hunger in Cook County, one meal, one dollar, one person at a time, until the day that no one in our community is hungry.”
That experience has been typical of the many projects Mazda Drive for Good™ has helped.
If you’d like Mazda to help out with a non-profit project you’re involved with, you can let the company know atnbc.com/mazdadrive4good.
You story might be told on TV during the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Void where prohibited. Legal residents of the 50 US or DC who are 18 or older and of the age of majority in their state of residence. Begins 10/27/14 at 10:00 AM PT and ends 11/12/14 at 9:59:59 AM PT. Limit 1 entry per person. For Official Rules, including odds and prize descriptions, go tohttp://mazda.nbc-contest.com/rules. Sponsor: NBCUniversal Media, LLC.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 states (including D.C.), 18 years old or older who purchase or lease a new Mazda vehicle from an authorized Mazda franchise dealer. Void where prohibited. Program starts November 21, 2014 and ends January 2, 2015. For Complete Terms and Conditions, and complete details, visithttps://mazda.promo.eprize.com/drive4good2014/.
