AIADA Refutes Import Automaker Charitable Giving Hoax

AIADA Refutes Import Automaker Charitable Giving Hoax

For some time now, a false e-mail has been circulating on the Internet titled, Read before you buy a car or motorcycle! The e-mail, which has reached urban legend proportions, says that only a few automakers, mostly Ford, GM and Chrysler, made charitable contributions in the wake of the September 11 tragedy.

This is wholly untrue, says a widely distributed response compiled by AIADA, which offered the following recent list of industry contributions in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy:

àBMW Group $1 million in cash to the American Red Cross, 100 new BMW police motorcycles, and 10 new X5 sport-utility vehicles a total donation valued at $2.4 million.

àDaimlerChrysler $10 million to support the children of victims of the attacks and is conducting additional employee fund-raising programs at its operations worldwide.

àFord $1 million to the Red Cross; 76 cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks; and the United Auto Workers Union’s Ford National Programs unit is donating $1 million to the Salvation Army. Ford facilities and dealer groups have donated $550,000 to relief efforts, and Ford has pledged to match all employee contributions.

àGM $1 million to the Red Cross, 60 GM vehicles to rescue and relief agencies, and pledged to match all employee donations. The company’s Northeast region offered a fleet of trucks, vans and SUVs for use in disaster recovery efforts.

àHonda more than $1.5 million to the Red Cross and United Way through a combination of Honda associate contributions, matching corporate funds, and additional corporate donations. Honda also donated significant heavy equipment to the NYPD and FDNY for use at ground zero.

àIsuzu $16,800 in corporate and employee contributions and is conducting further fund-raising efforts at its American Isuzu sales unit and at parent Isuzu Motors Ltd. in Japan.

àJaguar computer equipment to the Red Cross in Manhattan and matched proceeds raised for the Red Cross from the sale of American flags and pins to employees.

àHyundai/Kia Motors Group $300,000 to the Red Cross.

àMazda matching employee contributions to raise a total of $40,000 to be donated to the United Way.

àMitsubishi more than $150,000 in corporate and employee donations.

àNissan $500,000 each to the Red Cross and Twin Towers Fund, and is matching employee donations.

àPorsche dedicated 20 percent of the proceeds of a national fund-raising program to disaster relief and sponsored a benefit concert starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

àSubaru cash and equipment totaling $1 million to the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other relief efforts.

àSuzuki 25 ATVs and five 4WD SUVs, in addition to matching employee and dealer donations.

àToyota $1.93 million by company and dealers to the American Red Cross, the NYPD and Fire Widows and the Washington Family Relief Fund.

àVolkswagen established a relief foundation with initial funding from the German company of $2 million, and Volkswagen of America has donated 25 Eurovans to the New York Fire Department.

Further, automobile dealerships across the country, both domestic and international nameplate, have hosted blood drives, matched employee giving, donated dollars per car sold, etc. The National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation has raised $1.7 million for its Survivors Relief Fund to benefit victims, including significant contributions from AIADA. WANADA dealers and employees raised nearly $140,000.