Longo Toyota Races into the Nautica Malibu Triathlon & Day at the Beach Triathlon

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MESP, Inc. is proud to announce a multi-year partnership with Longo Toyota, a Penske Company, to co-sponsor the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, held annually in September in Malibu, CA and the Day at the Beach Triathlon, held annually in October in Hermosa Beach, CA. Longo Toyota, the largest and #1 Toyota retailer in the world, will be the Official Automobile Partner of both races.

This September will mark the 25th annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon and the 5th year that the event has partnered with Children's Hospital Los Angeles as the official charity partner. Fundraising initiatives from the event have raised over $3.5 million for the Hospital since 2007. For the past several years Longo Toyota has competed in the Corporate Challenge, an aspect of the race in which the largest corporations in Los Angeles compete to raise the most for the Hospital. In 2010, Longo Toyota fielded a team of 70 employees and raised over $26,000 for the cause! "It's been a pleasure working with Longo Toyota and the Penske Motor Group as a Corporate Challenge team," states Michael Epstein, president of MESP, Inc. "We are excited to extend our partnership and welcome them as an official event sponsor."

As a triathlete and previous participant himself, Greg Penske, CEO/President of Penske Motor Group said, "We are proud to support the Nautica Malibu and Day at the Beach Triathlons. Both races provide an exhilarating experience for everyone, while promoting team spirit and camaraderie for participants. The fact that our involvement could help improve a child's life makes this an even more meaningful partnership."

The Day at the Beach Triathlon is rich in history as well celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2011! This annual event is held in Hermosa Beach, CA and primarily draws local athletes from Los Angeles County and Orange County to participate. "Longo Toyota has been a staple in the Southern California community since 1967 offering the highest quality cars and service to thousands of local residence. The audience for the Day at the Beach Triathlon mirrors the Longo Toyota market and the partnership will unsurprisingly help both organizations' mission," states Michael Epstein.

ABOUT MESP:

Since 1986, MESP, Inc. has been a leader in lifestyle sports marketing. As a full service marketing and production company, MESP consistently delivers top quality events and unique brand driven marketing programs to tens of thousands of athletes throughout the United States. MESP currently produces high profile events such as the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, the Nautica South Beach Triathlon, and the Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud Run Series. MESP events have raised over $6 million for various philanthropic organizations such as Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Operation Gratitude.

ABOUT LONGO TOYOTA:

Founded in 1967, Longo Toyota has been the #1 volume Toyota dealership in the U.S. for 44 consecutive years. Longo's core mission is to build lifetime relationships with guests by delivering world-class experiences during the sale, service, parts ordering and collision repair interactions. As a testament to its exceptional performance in all areas of dealership operations, Longo has won over 130 awards and recognition, including the prestigious Toyota President's Award. Longo is one of only five dealers in the nation - and the only Toyota dealer in California - to have won the coveted Award every year since the award inception in 1986.

SOURCE MESP, Inc.