Wilmington, NC, August 18, 2011 – Carolina Canines for Service is pleased to announce the organization was recognized as a winner of Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program and will receive a Toyota Sienna Mobility Van to better serve the community. The Toyota 100 Cars for Good program is awarding 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public.
Public voting began on May 9 and continues for 100 consecutive days. Each day, five organizations are profiled on Toyota’s Facebook page and voters may vote for the charity they feel is most deserving of the vehicle. A vehicle will be awarded each day through August 16 for a total of 100 vehicles. Voters may place one vote per day, each day, over the course of the program.
“The outpouring of support and interest in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good program has been tremendous,” Michael Rouse, Toyota Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Affairs. “It is amazing to see how this program has brought individuals, organizations and communities together. We are equally excited to see Carolina Canines utilize their new vehicle to do good in the community.”
Carolina Canines for Service was profiled on Toyota’s Facebook page on August 15, 2011, along with four other finalists who were in the running to receive a new vehicle. Based on support from the community and votes from the public, Carolina Canines was named the August 15th winner.
Carolina Canines for Service is a non-profit corporation dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve greater independence. The group trains and places certified service dogs with the help of volunteer foster families and military prisoners at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston, provides pet therapy certification classes and helps children in our community improve their reading skills. Since its inception in 1996, Carolina Canines has placed 48 service dogs and the value of all the programs exceeds $5.0 million in services to our community. The Toyota Sienna Mobility Van will help us to assist our clients that depend on wheelchairs when they are learning to work with their service dog provided by our organization.
Carolina Canines for Service is a non-profit corporation dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve greater independence. The group trains and places certified service dogs with the help of volunteer foster families and military prisoners at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston, provides pet therapy certification classes and helps children in our community improve their reading skills. Since its inception in 1996, Carolina Canines has placed 48 service dogs and the value of all the programs exceeds $5.0 million in services to our community. The Toyota Sienna Mobility Van will help us to assist our clients that depend on wheelchairs when they are learning to work with their service dog provided by our organization.
“We are very grateful to Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program and our supporters that made this opportunity a reality” says Rick Hairston, President and CEO of Carolina Canines. “Mostly we are thankful to provide additional services to our clients with the receipt of the Sienna Mobility Van.”
The Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program enables 100 organizations to receive a Toyota vehicle to make a greater impact on the community. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $500 million to non-profit organizations, and has always been guided by a strong belief in serving the communities where it does business. If you’d like to learn more, please visit http://www.toyota.com/about/philanthropy/.
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.
