Giving to the Giving

LOS ANGELES, July 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Little did Audrey Moscosa-Rodriguez know that her answer to the question, "where would you go in a new Toyota Prius and why?" would earn her a new hybrid to help her efforts. 

Moscosa-Rodriguez was attending this year's National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Annual Conference, when Toyota invited her – and other attendees – to answer the question. Her response: that she would use the Prius to help promote and encourage Latino teens to graduate high school and apply to college. A panel chose her as the winner and she was presented with the keys to her new car at NCLR's Latina's Brunch on Sunday.

"I work with a program that helps middle and high school students prepare for academic and career success," said Moscosa-Rodriguez of Savannah, Ga. "This new Prius will help me reach more students, motivate them toward high school graduation and college access, and prepare them for successful entry into the workforce. I can't thank Toyota enough for this amazing life changing gift. This is such a tremendous opportunity for me, my students and my community."

The NCLR conference, which ran from July 19 to July 22 in Los Angeles, is the nation's largest gathering of influential individuals, organizations, institutions and companies working with the Hispanic community.  Toyota was the title sponsor for this year's event, celebrating ten years as the No. 1 auto choice for U.S. Latinos.

"We are proud and grateful to our Latino customers and deeply thankful for their ongoing partnership, friendship and loyalty," said Bill Fay, Group Vice President and General Manager of the Toyota division at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. "We have been a proud partner of NCLR for 15 years and are thrilled to be expanding our efforts to support the important work that NCLR does to expand civic engagement and foster critical conversations across the Latino community."

"We are proud to be working side by side with Toyota and to have them as a committed partner," says Ron Estrada, Vice President Integrated Marketing and Events at NCLR. "Toyota always brings something new and exciting to our conference and we couldn't be more thrilled to have them be a part of it again this year."

In addition to giving away a new Prius at the conference, Toyota also showcased its most popular vehicles, hosted an autograph session with NASCAR's German Quiroga, a golf clinic taught by LGPA golfer Lizette Salas and a free concert with Ryan Beatty, gave away car seats and more. 

About Toyota's commitment to the Latino Community

Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $700 million to American nonprofit groups;  a big part of it going to organizations that support minority populations, including Hispanics.

Toyota supports and partners with premier Hispanic organizations that promote the advancement of the Latino community in the United States through education and civic engagement including:

• National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
• National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI)
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
• Latinos in Tech Innovation & Social Media (LATISM)
• Hispanicize

Toyota has nearly tripled our number of Hispanic-owned Toyota and Lexus dealers since 2000 and is proud to offer programs that keep families safe on the road like the groundbreaking injury prevention initiative "Buckle Up for Life" or "Abrochate a la Vida."

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands.  Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 40,000 people (more than 32,000 in the U.S.).  Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.  

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment.  As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com. 

About NCLR

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans.  Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations, NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.  To achieve its mission, NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas—assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health.  In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its Affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families.

Founded in 1968, NCLR is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization headquartered in Washington, DC, serving all Hispanic subgroups in all regions of the country.  It has state and regional offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, and San Antonio.

Contact

Javier Moreno, Toyota
212-715-7469
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140723/129924

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140723/129925

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130723/NY52092LOGO-a

SOURCE Toyota