For immediate release
TORONTO (February 11, 2005) – While much of the world celebrates friends, family and loved ones on Valentine’s Day, Volvo owners across Toronto will begin making donations to help children afflicted with hearing loss.
For 23 days starting February 14, a donation will be made to the Toronto-based Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) for every Volvo vehicle that comes in for scheduled maintenance or oil and filter change. Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd. (VCCL), partnering with Castrol Canada Inc. and the 11 participating Volvo Retailers in the Greater Toronto Area, will catalogue every scheduled maintenance service and oil and filter change on Volvo vehicles from February 14 to March 11 and will donate $20 on the Volvo owner’s behalf to help make a difference in a young child’s life. The donations support the Cochlear Implant Program at Sick Kids.
“It is Volvo Canada’s fundamental philosophy to put people first through our dedication to safety research and environmental programs,” said Paul Cummings, President and CEO of Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd. “While building safer vehicles and working to reduce the impact they have on the environment improves the quality of life for everyone, Volvo Canada is equally committed to helping children afflicted with hearing loss better adapt to the world full of sound that we live in. I encourage Volvo owners in the greater Toronto area to take full advantage of this program.”
Different from a hearing aid that amplifies sound to help a damaged auditory system, a cochlear implant bypasses damaged or missing cells and directly stimulates with the auditory nerve. The result is that a child suffering from profound hearing loss is better able to process sound and more effectively learn speech and verbal communication skills.
“Cochlear implants allow children with profound hearing loss have access to the sounds many of us take for granted, offering them an almost miraculous new way to hear the sounds of the world and to learn and understand speech and language,” said Dr. Robert Harrison, Sr. Scientist, Otolaryngology, The Hospital for Sick Children. “Thanks to Volvo Canada’s commitment and generosity, we will be able to continue to research and develop new treatments and therapies, helping children in Toronto, other provinces and around the world.”
Sick Kids’ Cochlear Implant Program began in 1990 thanks, in large part, to donations from the community. It is now Canada’s largest program and has helped more than 400 children. What’s more, the program is working to help children sooner. Fifteen years ago, the average age of an implant recipient was 6 years – today patients are much younger, some under one year of age. This is largely because Sick Kids research has shown that the earlier a child receives the implant, the greater the success the child will have with his or her new “hearing” ability.
To participate in the program, Volvo owners are invited to contact their participating authorized Volvo retailer in the GTA and schedule a service appointment before March 11, 2005. VCCL hopes to raise more than $50,000 and present the donations to Sick Kids.
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd. is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 43 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The company’s product range includes the flagship S80 luxury sedan, the versatile V70 wagon, the S60 sports sedan, and an XC-line of vehicles that includes the rugged XC70 and the award-winning XC90 sport utility vehicle. For 2005, the company is introducing the completely redesigned S40 sports sedan and V50 sportswagon, providing performance for a new generation.
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Contact:
Doug Mepham
1-877-975-1572 office
613-922-6097 mobile
doug.mepham@bellnet.ca
Chad Heard
416-540-4229
chadheard@rogers.com
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