Berlin City Auto Group Secures Funding for New England Schools

Berlin City Auto Group has donated $405,171 to local schools and continues to secure funding for more throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont

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Berlin City Auto Group

Dec 02, 2015, 02:14 ET

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, Dec. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Berlin City Auto Group has revealed this year's grant recipients as part of its employee-driven Drive for Education program. This forward-thinking campaign recently contributed a donation of $44,220 to twenty-three Maine schools, $17,800 to nine New Hampshire schools and $23,161 to nineteen local Vermont schools. In total, the grant program has enabled the organization to donate $405,171 to schools across New England since its inception in June 2011.

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Maine schools impacted by the Drive for Education program include Harrison Lyseth, Ocean Avenue School, Presumpscot Elementary, Memorial Middle, South Portland High School, Gorham Middle, Saccarappa Elementary, Gov. John Fairfield, Central Elementary, Mt. Ararat Middle, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Maine Region Ten Technical H.S., Sacopee Valley Elementary, Dayton Consolidated, Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, Raymond Elementary, RSU #16, James H. Bean, Woodstock Elementary, Appleton Village, Guy E. Rowe and Oxford Hills Middle. On December 8, 2015, there will be a gathering at the all new Berlin City Honda of Portland to honor these schools.

In New Hampshire, the Drive for Education program assisted Berlin High School, Hillside Elementary, Brown Elementary, Whitefield Elementary, Milan Village, Gorham Middle/H.S., White Mountain Regional H.S., Stark Village, and Bethlehem Elementary this past November. A presentation ceremony will be held at Berlin City Automotive, 485 Main Street (Route 16), Gorham on December 9, 2015.

Vermont schools helped by the program this past month include Berkshire Elementary, Brown's River Middle, Dothan Brook, The St. Johnsbury School, St. Albans Town Ed Center, and Swanton. Several others were honored as well. These were Fairfield Center, Thomas Fleming, Sheldon Elementary, Waterville Elementary, and Franklin Center School among others. All will be honored at a presentation ceremony at Berlin City Kia of Vermont on December 10, 2015, in Williston.

Yegor Malinovskii, Market President of Berlin City Auto Group, said, "This program has been a huge success in just 5 short years. By giving back to the community, we have been able to help local schools succeed by contributing much needed funding for infrastructure, equipment, and curriculum improvements."

New England Schools Catch on to the Drive for Education Program

Each school must submit an application and essay to be considered. It must explain how a donation of up to $3,500 would be used. Applications are evaluated by Berlin City Auto Group's Brand Ambassadors who lead the dealership's community involvement campaigns. They represent a select group of employees who determine each school's suitability while hand picking each one awarded.

Berlin City Auto Group has six dealerships throughout New England. For each vehicle sold, a portion of the sale is put into the Drive for Education program. A grand total of $405,171 has been donated so far.

Drive for Education Program Expands Its Influence

Although twenty-three Maine, nine New Hampshire and nineteen Vermont schools were recently selected, they are not the only ones who stand to benefit from the program.

Central Elementary School in Maine recently applied for a grant, which it will use to replace its stage and gymnasium sound system. It will enable all to better hear performances and lessons part of the Main Music and Performing Arts Curriculum, while also supporting a number of physical education activities.

A Drive for Education grant was requested by James H. Bean School in Maine. In its essay, the school expressed the intention of installing a Computerized Audio Distribution System in 20 classrooms. Children throughout a classroom will equally hear voices and sounds. The school believes this will bolster education because 75% of learning is accomplished through listening, while studies have shown that up to one-quarter of school age students have trouble learning due to hearing loss and difficulty listening. The school believes its Special Education and Speech and Language Service programs stand to benefit from additional funding as well.

Local schools have also applied to the program to fund the integration of interactive whiteboards, education greenhouses, and microscopes and related equipment. Each grant awarded as part of the charity program goes towards enriching the lives of children, via education and foundational support, and having a positive impact on local neighborhoods and communities.

All New England K-12 public schools qualify and can apply for free. Schools are selected and donations awarded throughout the year. For more information on Berlin City Auto Group's Drive for Education program, visit http://www.berlincity.com/Drive-for-Education.html.

About Berlin City Auto Group

Berlin City Auto Group owns eight dealerships across New England. With locations in Gorham, NH, Burlington, VT, and Portland and S. Portland, ME, the company sells leading brand automobiles including Toyota, Scion, Nissan, Chevy, Lexus, Honda, GMC, Chrysler, Lincoln, Buick, Ford, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat, Alpha Romeo and Kia. It provides a comprehensive automotive repair service. Door-to-door delivery is available throughout New England and Berlin City offers a 4-day/200 mile no questions asked return policy and the lowest competitive 4-day/200 mile price guarantee. It also offers pre-owned protection on Berlin City certified pre-owned vehicles within 60 days or the first 2,000 miles. For more information, visit www.berlincity.com or find Berlin City on Facebook and Twitter.