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2005 Volvo For Life Awards Fact Sheet

 

 

WHAT

The third annual Volvo for life Awards is the largest-ever national search for and celebration of everyday heroes, with Volvo Cars of North America providing $1 million in awards and contributions.

 

Launched in June 2004, the program called for individuals nationwide to nominate a hometown hero they know at www.volvoforlifeawards.com. Volvo received 4,272 nominations representing all 50 states. The initiative culminates with the March 24, 2005, Volvo for life Awards Ceremony, held in New York at Times Square Studios, Ltd.

 

 

WHY

The Volvo for life Awards program was developed by Volvo Cars of North America to honor and celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their communities in the areas of safety, quality of life and the environment. This year’s initiative also saw the debut of a new category, the Alexandra Scott Butterfly Award, celebrating the memory of Alex Scott, one of the first Volvo for life Awards winners, and honoring young heroes like Alex. Despite suffering a rare form of cancer, Alex turned lemons into lemonade by raising more than $1 million for pediatric cancer research through lemonade stands.

 

HEROES

Nominations for the 2005 Volvo for life Awards were accepted through Jan. 10, 2005. In February, Volvo selected 100 semi-finalists, who each received a Certificate of Merit honoring their accomplishments. From those 100, Volvo selected the top three finalists in three categories: safety, quality of life and environment. Of the child heroes in the top 100, Alex Scott’s parents Jay and Elizabeth Scott selected the Butterfly Award winner.

 

A distinguished panel of judges reviewed the finalists’ nominations and selected a winner in each of the three categories. The three winners are being honored at the Volvo for life Awards Ceremony and will each receive a $50,000 donation to her favorite charity. The overall winner, to be revealed at the ceremony, will receive a Volvo car for the rest of her life. The remaining six finalists and the Butterfly Award winner each will receive a $25,000 charitable donation.

 

JUDGES

Hank Aaron, Bill Bradley, Caroline Kennedy, Maya Lin, Paul Newman, Dr. Sally Ride, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Earnestine Russell-Drumgold (2004 Volvo for life Awards grand winner).

 

FINALISTS

The program’s top three finalists in the categories of safety, quality of life and environment are:

 

Safety:

  • Monica Caison, 41, a Wilmington, N.C., woman who embodies the spirit of TV’s “Cold Case” by helping search for missing loved ones when others have given up hope.
  • Abdul Hafiz, 13, a Staten Island, N.Y., junior high student lobbying politicians to pass a new law requiring special safety gates for fire escapes.
  • Paula Lucas, 46, a domestic abuse survivor in Portland, Ore., helping American women escape abusive relationships while living abroad.

 

Quality of Life:

  • Hope Bevilhymer, 27, a West Jordan, Utah, amputee who founded “Limbs of Hope” to provide recycled prosthetic limbs to amputees overseas.
  • Jose Morales, 48, Elmhurst, N.Y., who is helping more than 3,100 Spanish-speaking people in Queens, New York recover from substance abuse.
  • Jack Orchard, 37, a St. Louis, Mo., ALS patient who is inspiring students across the nation to help people living with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

 

Environment:

  • Lisa Busch, 38, a Sitka, Alaska, resident bringing environmentalists and timber proponents together to revitalize her community and the environment.
  • Bill Maynard, 49, a Sacramento, Calif., engineer growing gardens to beautify his community and feed low-income residents.
  • Robina Suwol, 49, a Van Nuys, Calif., mom advocating for policies to protect school children from harmful chemicals.

 

WINNERS

From the category finalists, the distinguished panel of judges selected the Volvo for life Awards’ three category winners:

  • Safety: Paula Lucas, 46, Portland, Ore.
  • Quality of life: Hope Bevilhymer, 27, West Jordan, Utah
  • Environment: Lisa Busch, 38, Sitka, Alaska

 

BUTTERFLY

The Alexandra Scott Butterfly Award winner is:

  • Suzie Tipton, 11, a cerebral palsy patient from Hendersonville, N.C. who founded a program to redistribute second-hand medical equipment to kids and adults with special needs who can’t afford the supplies.

 

CEREMONY

The third annual Volvo for life Awards Ceremony is being held March 24, 2005, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, at Times Square Studios, Ltd., in New York City.

  • Host: Jim Belushi
  • Music: The Black Crowes, Sahara Hotnights and Tina Dico
  • Presentations: Hank Aaron, Bill Bradley, Dr. Sally Ride, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Earnestine Russell-Drumgold

Contact:

Eric Davis,

Haberman & Associates,

612-338-3900,

eric@modernstorytellers.com.

 

Sören Johansson,

Volvo Cars of North America,

949-341-6719,

sjohan44@volvocars.com.

Media:

For photos and more information on the Volvo for life Awards:

http://www.volvocars-pr.com

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