Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program Helps Fill Need for Mobility Vehicles

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Providence TrinityKids Care, the only children's hospice program serving Los Angeles and Orange counties, will today receive a Toyota Sienna minivan, courtesy of Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program, which awarded 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving non-profit organizations. The Sienna minivan for Providence is one of 16 donated vehicles that have been specially built by Toyota to better assist those who are mobility-impaired, whether due to illness, age or disability.  The delivery took place at Toyota's Torrance campus.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111109/LA03079)

Providence TrinityKids Care is a pediatric hospice service for critically ill children and their families, whose team of medical experts provide their expertise to help keep children comfortable at home. The organization is the only dedicated in-home children's hospice and palliative care program in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The organization plans to use its Toyota Sienna to develop its Transportation Program, which will help families get to and from medical appointments.  

Toyota introduced the U.S. auto industry's first factory-installed, power rotating lift-up seat in the Sienna, which is the minivan selected by Providence TrinityKids Care. Toyota calls this feature Auto Access Seat, a lift-up seat designed to assist passengers to get in and out of the vehicle with ease and safety.  Ten other winning organizations will also receive a Toyota Sienna with this equipment.  Five of the winners will receive a Toyota Sienna Rampvan®, a lowered-floor minivan with a power ramp for wheelchair access.  These five Sienna minivans were converted by BraunAbility, a Toyota business partner, and the largest manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vans and wheelchair lifts worldwide.

Program Overview

Winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program were determined based on voting from the public. Each day, five organizations were profiled on Toyota's Facebook page where the public was invited to show their support by voting to determine the winning non-profit organization. Each daily winner was awarded a new Toyota vehicle to help the organizations continue to do "good" in their local communities. The remaining finalists each received a $1000 grant from Toyota.

Public voting for the 100 Cars for Good program opened May 9, 2011 and continued through August 16.  Voters were allowed to place one vote per day, each day, over the course of the program.  Each day, the previous day's winner was announced and five new nonprofit organizations were featured for voting.  Winning organizations could choose from the following vehicles: Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander Hybrid, Sienna or Sienna Mobility.  Toyota will provide a six-year, 100,000-mile Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement to provide extended protection beyond the vehicle warranty.

The 500 finalists, from which the 100 winners were ultimately selected, were chosen by an independent panel of judges who are experts in the fields of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. To learn more about all the finalists, including winning organizations, visit www.facebook.com/toyota and click on the 100 Cars for Good tab.

Quotes

"Toyota is proud to add these modifications for the 16 winners of the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program that serve those who live with mobility impairment. We know that these changes will help each of the winning organizations further the 'good' they do each day.  Being a part of this program has been a joy and an honor as we got to know each of the winning organizations and the work they do. They all represent truly the best of human compassion, ingenuity and dedication, and we thank them for their ongoing service." – Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

"We are so grateful to Toyota for the generosity they have shown to organizations like us through the 100 Cars for Good program.  The Sienna will help us provide safe, reliable transportation to families in need, and since mobility is a challenge for many, the Auto Access Seat makes it that much more valuable.  We know that all of the winners of 100 Cars for Good feel the same appreciation we do!" – Terri Warren, Chief Executive, Providence TrinityCare Hospice.

"The Braun Corporation was delighted to play a role in the 100 Cars for Good program.  We see the need for mobility vehicles every day, and the enormous impact just one of these cars can make.  We applaud Toyota for making this investment for 16 of the program's winners, and congratulate each of the organizations." – Nick Gutwein, President, The Braun Corporation.

The other winning organizations that will receive a specially built Sienna minivan are:

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, including one under construction.  Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 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.

Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $500 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S.  

For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.

About Toyota Financial Services

TFS is the finance and insurance brand for Toyota in the United States, offering retail auto financing and leasing through Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and extended service contracts through Toyota Motor Insurance Services (TMIS).  Lexus Financial Services is the brand for financial products for Lexus dealers and customers. TFS currently employs over 3,300 associates nationwide, and has managed assets totaling more than $87 billion.  It is part of a worldwide network of comprehensive financial services offered by Toyota Financial Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.  For more information, please visit www.toyotafinancial.com.

About Providence Health & Services, Southern California:

Providence Health & Services, Southern California, is a Catholic, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality and compassionate health care and reaching out to the poor and the vulnerable in the communities it serves. ProvidenceSouthern California operates five acute care medical centers in the Los Angeles area: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, Providence Tarzana Medical Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers in Torrance and San Pedro. The region also has numerous ancillary facilities including Hospice care for adults and children, long-term care, numerous outpatient clinics and a high school. For more information, please visit http://providence.org.  

About The Braun Corporation

The Braun Corporation is the largest manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans, ramps, and wheelchair lifts worldwide and enables people with physical disabilities to regain mobility and lead active and independent lives. The Indiana-based company was founded by Ralph Braun, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at a young age and unable to walk by age 15. Ralph was motivated by his disability to invent the world's first electric scooter (the Tri-Wheeler) and wheelchair lift (the Lift-A-Way) in his parents' garage. Word spread and demand for the product increased, resulting in the birth of Save-A-Step Manufacturing, which ultimately became The Braun Corporation. The company offers the most diverse line of vehicle platforms in the industry, including the most popular minivan models from Dodge/Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota. For more information, or to find a dealer near you, please visit www.braunability.com or www.facebook.com/braunability.    

Media Contact:
Kirsten Clausen
GolinHarris forToyota
(213) 438-8726
[email protected]

SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales