September 29 2010
Chevrolet donates 100 cars to SOS Children's Villages
- Chevrolet celebrates 100 years by donating 100 cars to SOS Children's Villages
- "Wheels for Kids" European partnership to involve dealers and customers
- Haute couture dress to be auctioned in 2011 for SOS Children's Villages France
29/09/2010 - At Chevrolet's Fashion Catwalk event in Paris today, Chevrolet Europe and SOS Children's Villages International announced the start of a European partnership aimed at increasing the mobility of the children in their care and their co-workers. SOS Children's Villages provides a loving home for orphaned and abandoned children, preventive support for families at risk of abandoning their children as well as educational facilities.
To kick this partnership off in 2011 – and to celebrate 100 years of Chevrolet – Chevrolet will give a hundred birthday presents to SOS: one hundred Chevrolet cars.
"Providing cars is the most natural way for us as a car manufacturer to help SOS. We hope that the vehicles can improve the daily lives of the kids and their caretakers," said Wayne Brannon, President of Chevrolet Europe. "We are proud to support an independent organization of the scope, dedication and commitment that SOS is demonstrating in both their daily work and their disaster relief programs."
The "Wheels for Kids" program will increase the mobility of the children and their SOS mothers as well as the ability of the SOS social workers working in the SOS Family Strengthening Programs to visit disadvantaged families in the communities.
"From the small city car to the seven-seaters, the Chevrolet cars will be highly appreciated for all different kinds of usages," said Richard Pichler, Secretary-General of SOS Children's Villages International. "The SOS mothers need to be mobile for the same reasons other parents do. They manage all the same challenges of running a large household. In our Family Strengthening Programmes our social workers go out into the poor communities to help families take care of themselves and of their children. Very often, these communities are remote and hard to access publicly. The mobility of all our co-workers is really crucial for us to be able to support children," Pichler explained.
In a next step, the program is intended to be expanded to involve all Chevrolet dealers and interested customers. Car service support or educational opportunities through Chevrolet dealers as well as customer involvement programs are currently being developed.
At Chevrolet's Fashion Catwalk event it was also announced that a very special dress, designed for Chevrolet by renowned French haute couture fashion designer Frank Sorbier, will be auctioned in 2011 – Chevrolet's Centenary Year – with the proceeds to be given to SOS Children's Villages France.
As part of Chevrolet's youth support programs, Chevrolet also organizes an annual art contest called Young Creative Chevrolet. This contest provides young artists a platform to grow through real-life projects and witness trips with role models in their field of applied art.
Photos taken at the event can be downloaded here: www.flickr.com/photos/youngcreativechevrolet/
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet Europe delivers attractive, distinctive design, practical, economical cars and outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2009, Chevrolet held its market share in Europe at 2.3 percent, selling 426,000 cars. Chevrolet has a network of 2,900 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the all-new Spark city car, the small Aveo, compact Cruze sedan, Captiva SUV, mid-size Epica and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet will launch the Orlando, an all-new family van, the Camaro coupe and convertible, the new Aveo and the Cruze hatchback as well as re-launching the Captiva SUV with four new engines. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the U.K. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is preparing to celebrate its centenary with the launch of the ground-breaking Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. More information on Chevrolet can be found at http://www.chevroleteurope.com or http://media.chevroleteurope.com.
Contacts:
Marc Kempe
Chevrolet Europe
Zurich, Switzerland
+41 44 828 2980
mob. + 41 79 201 5752
marc.kempe@gm.com
Dr. Karin Kirchner
Chevrolet Europe
Zurich, Switzerland
+41 44 828 2518
mob. +41 79 605 2557
karin.kirchner@gm.com
Katharina Steinkellner
SOS-Kinderdorf International
Vienna, Austria
Tel. +43 1 368 24 57 2777
katharina.steinkellner@sos-kd.org