GM Foundation Donates $200,000 to Safe Kids Worldwide

DETROIT, July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As summer temperatures continue to climb, so does the risk of child injuries and deaths due to heatstroke. To help raise awareness of this issue, the General Motors Foundation is providing $200,000 to Safe Kids Worldwide to support the organization's Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car campaign.

Since 1998, an average of 37 children per year have lost their lives due to heatstroke, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Even on a 75-degree day, the interior of a vehicle can reach more than 100 degrees in approximately 20 minutes.  On an 80 degree day the interior of a vehicle can reach 100 degrees or more in just 10 minutes.

"We are committed to raising awareness regarding how dangerous a car can become for a child left alone in a vehicle for even a few short minutes," said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs and a member of the GM Foundation board of directors. "Passenger safety is a priority for our company and we're proud to partner with Safe Kids to help save lives and prevent injuries."

The GM Foundation's donation to Safe Kids includes raising awareness for "National Heatstroke Awareness Day" on Wednesday, July 31. Advocates are encouraged to join the day-long social media conversation by tweeting and posting Facebook messages using the hashtag #heatstroke. General Motors, Chevrolet and OnStar have signed on to encourage their social communities to join the conversations.

"Even one death is too many, so we are grateful to have support from the GM Foundation to raise awareness about heatstroke prevention," said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. "By partnering with NHTSA for 'National Heatstroke Awareness Day,' we hope to reach parents and caregivers across the nation and put a stop to these tragic losses."

Through Safe Kids and its network of 600 coalitions and chapters across the nation, the Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car campaign provides parents and caregivers safety tips and tactics to help prevent unnecessary deaths due to heatstroke.

For more information and related safety tips, visit www.safekids.org/heatstroke.

About the General Motors Foundation

Since its inception in 1976, the GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to American charities, educational organizations and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on supporting Education, Health and Human Services, Environment and Energy and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates.  Funding of the GM Foundation comes solely from GM.  The last contribution to the GM Foundation was made in 2001. For more information, visit www.gm.com/gmfoundation.

About Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of organizations dedicated to providing parents and caregivers with practical and proven resources to protect kids from unintentional injuries, the number one cause of death to children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and every one of these tragedies is preventable. Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 600 coalitions in the U.S. and in 23 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Since 1988, Safe Kids has helped reduce the U.S. childhood death rate from unintentional injury by 55 percent. Working together, we can do much more for kids everywhere. Join our effort at safekids.org.

SOURCE General Motors Foundation