The dealership will host the key presentation on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011 at 10 a.m. and the event will be joined by furry friends from the Humane Society, along with their mascot, Roof & Shingles. Petey’s Promise’s very own Petey, a rescued dog, and his little brother Cowboy will also be at the celebration.
The Toyota 100 Cars for Good program has awarded 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving non-profit organizations nationwide based on votes from the public. 100 Cars for Good was launched as a Facebook-enabled philanthropy initiative which engaged supporters of these charities through its Facebook application. Each day for 100 days, five organizations were profiled on the Facebook page and the one with the most votes at the end of the day was awarded a car. The 400 runners-up each received $1,000.
“We are so grateful to receive this new car and we thank Toyota and our supporters for answering our prayers,” said Judy Sims, CEO of the Humane Society of Concord. “Being a woman of strong faith, I always believed our prayers would be heard. We rely on volunteers to pick up animals from puppy mill raids and take them to our shelters. We also have to transport supplies by making multiple trips. This vehicle donation will allow us to be more efficient in getting our work done and assisting in animal rescues where adequate transportation is needed.”
With three locations in Cabarrus County, The Humane Society’s mission is to end animal suffering and cruelty, reduce overpopulation and educate the public on responsible pet ownership. Through the support of trained volunteers, the agency also investigates cases of animal abuse and neglect, provides affordable pet spaying and neutering and helps find homes for abandoned animals.
"We are absolutely thrilled to have won a new truck from Toyota. We never in a million years would have thought this was possible,” said Elizabeth Mellott, president and founder of Petey’s Promise. “Our board members and volunteers often dig into their own pockets to fulfill the needs of pet owners and this generous donation from Toyota will help alleviate the expense of getting transportation to carry large donations to our clients. Thanks to Toyota and our supporters, we will easily quadruple our deliveries, which means more animals will be fed and remain in the homes of their loving families.”
Petey’s Promise seeks to provide temporary food and pet-care items to animal owners in the Charlotte and Concord area who are otherwise forced to surrender their pets to shelters. Mellott, an animal activist, plans to add a no-kill animal rescue shelter, a large animal sanctuary and eventually develop a branch to assist in marine rescues.
“Toyota Scion of Concord is proud to support Petey’s Promise and the Humane Society of Concord by awarding them new vehicles through Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good,” said Wendell Hairfield, general manager of Toyota Scion of Concord. “Most of our customers are local and giving back to our community is one way we show our appreciation for their continued support. These organizations do a lot for this area so we are honored to host an event that celebrates both nonprofits.”
Throughout the year, Toyota Scion of Concord participates in a variety of charitable activities within the community. During the holidays, the dealership supports Marines in Afghanistan by sending more than a dozen care packages to those serving in the Middle East. It also holds an annual clothing drive to collect outer wear for Coats for Kids.
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/.
