Toyota Donating 100 Cars to 100 Non-profits in 100 Days – Public to Choose the Winners on Facebook
Avokado Artists Would Use New Toyota Vehicle to Help Spread Cross-Cultural Understanding Through The Arts
Placitas, New Mexico – May 7, 2012 – Placitas-based Avokado Artists announced today that it 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 100 cars to 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days. Avokado Artists was selected as a finalist from more than 4,000 applications nationwide.
Each day, beginning May 14, 2012, 100 Cars for Good will profile five finalists at www.100carsforgood.com. Individual members of the public will be able to vote for which ever non-profit they think can do the most good with a new vehicle. The non-profit with the most votes at the end of each day will win one of six Toyota models. Runners-up will each receive a $1,000 cash grant from Toyota.
Avokado Artists will be up for consideration on August 10 from 8 AM to 9:59 PM MST.
“Avokado Artists is thrilled - and frankly humbled - to have been selected as a finalist for the 2012 Toyota 100 Cars for Good program,” said Executive Director Tom Frouge “We’re grateful for this incredible opportunity to be able to spread the word about our dedication to cross-cultural understanding through art and the cultivation, promotion, presentation and preservation of culturally significant artists and their work from around the globe, including New Mexico-based musicians Rahim AlHaj and Mariachi Mystery Tour and painter Jade Leyva.” We also founded and co-produce the annual ¡Globaquerque! festival which is in it’s eigth yearof bring ing the best of World Music and Culture to New Mexico and consult other not-for-profit and arts organizations. As a small non-profit, we do not have a devoted vehicle at our disposal and are physically located in Sandoval County about 25 miles from Albuquerque and 45 miles from Santa Fe. In New Mexico vehicles are a must. Simply stated, a company vehicle would allow Avokado Artists to be more effective and efficient in its day-to-day work and help us keep costs down. A new vehicle - a hybrid Prius is what we would select - would really be a game changer. We hope everyone will help us spread the word now and, of course, will make time to visit www.100carsforgood.com on August 10 to vote for us.”
“At Toyota, we appreciate what a significant impact a new car can have for non-profits nationwide,” noted Michael Rouse, vice president of philanthropy for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “Toyota has donated more than half a billion dollars to non-profits across the U.S. over the past 20 years, and 100 Cars for Good allows us to expand that commitment to local communities in important new ways. The 500 finalists are an extraordinary group, and we look forward to the public learning more about them.”
100 Cars for Good is the first initiative to directly engage the public to determine how Toyota’s philanthropic donations are awarded.
For more information on Avokado Artists and its efforts to win one of Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good, please visit Avokado Artists’ website at www.avokado.net. You can also follow us on Facebook (TomFrouge or Avokado Artists Recordings) or on Twitter at @TFrouge . For complete information on 100 Cars for Good and profiles of all 500 finalists, please visit www.100carsforgood.com.
Local residents are encouraged to support Avokado Artists and their quest for a new Toyota Prius. If Avokado Artists receives the most votes and is awarded the vehicle, it will be used to facilitate most aspects of our organization’s ground transportation needs, including attending meetings across the state and region, running errands for the organization and its myriad events and educational and community outreach programs. It will also be used in the distribution of collateral and educational materials, and transporting artists and speakers to and from events. Folks can visit www.100carsforgood.com click on the Finalist tab, find Avokado Artists and click on the “Remind Me” button to a receive a reminder via email to vote on August 10.
A six-year, 100,000-mile power train warranty will also be provided for each vehicle, compliments of Toyota Financial Services