FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Volvo Cars of North America’s Hero Awards Program Goes Global, Expands to South Korea
IRVINE, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2005) –– Want to know how to say “hero” in Korean? Simply head to Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 19 when Volvo Car Korea conducts its first ever South Korean Volvo for life Awards, a local version of Volvo Cars of North America’s (VCNA) highly popular annual hero recognition and awards program.
Launched in September, the South Korean Volvo for life Awards called on individuals within its nation to log onto www.volvocars.co.kr and nominate a local hero they knew doing the extraordinary within his or her community. In a special ceremony in Seoul on Dec. 19, Volvo Car Korea along with celebrity judges will unveil winners and provide them with financial contributions.
The Korean program was inspired by VCNA’s Volvo for life Awards (www.volvoforlifeawards.com). This annual initiative, which began in 2002 to honor Volvo’s 75th anniversary, recognizes and rewards everyday heroes who help others in their communities. It calls on Americans to submit an online nomination for their favorite local hero in the categories of safety, quality of life or environment. Since its inception, Volvo has received almost 10,000 nominations for such heroes, as well as more than 35 million hits to the program’s Web site. At a gala New York awards ceremony each spring, VCNA unveils the grand winner –– “America’s Greatest Hometown Hero” –– who receives a new Volvo every three years for the rest of his or her life. Nominations for the fourth annual Volvo for life Awards can be made at www.volvoforlifeawards.com.
South Korea is the first international venue for the Volvo for life Awards, but it is unlikely to be the last. At the last Volvo for life Awards ceremony in America, held in March, 2005, Volvo Car Corporation’s then-CEO Hans-Olov Olsson pledged to bring the program to every nation where the company is represented, noting that “we have seen again and again that the values of the Volvo for life Awards have universal appeal, and our experience with this inspiring program has taught us it will work…anywhere people care about each other.”
“We’re delighted and flattered that this powerful program, which each year celebrates the contributions of heroes coast to coast, has stretched its arms to the other side of the world,” said Anne Bélec, Volvo Cars of North America’s president and chief executive officer. “We hope this continues to be a truly inspiring initiative for Volvo Car Korea for years to come.”
# # #
Contact:
Eric Davis
Haberman & Associates
612-372-6447
eric@habermaninc.com
Sören Johansson
Volvo Cars of North America
949-341-6719
sjohan44@volvocars.com
Photography:
