Mazda and NBCUniversal Announce Mazda Drive for Good Nonprofit Contest Winner

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you ever spent your birthday in a hospital? It feels like a forgotten day, a skipped year, and a passed moment. No child should ever have a missed birthday while in the hospital. That's why Mazda North American Operations (MNAO), through the Mazda Drive for Good^® program and partnership with NBCUniversal, has selected The Confetti Foundation as the recipient of $30,000 in goods and services as part of its Mazda Drive for Good contest. You can imagine, picking one nonprofit who does great things for those in need was quite the challenge. So this year, the Mazda Drive for Good program and NBCUniversal have selected four additional nonprofits to each receive $10,000 in goods and services!

"I have personally seen children in hospitals whose families couldn't afford to come visit them, let alone give them a birthday party," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "This year we are expanding our reach and honoring four additional nonprofits for their hard work in their local community. We hope our donation, plus any additional awareness we can raise for these organizations, helps them toward achieving their missions."

The Mazda Drive for Good contest ran from October 14 to October 28, 2015. Nonprofits, or their representatives, were encouraged to enter their story and explain what their organization is doing to help improve their local community. Initially, Mazda Drive for Good was going to donate $30,000 in kind to one lucky organization, however, in reading all of the stories, Mazda made the decision to donate $10,000 in kind to four additional organizations.

The Mazda Drive for Good winter event is in its third year of fundraising and in 2015 Mazda will continue its donation of $150 per new Mazda sold or leased between November 23, 2015 and January 4, 2016. Over the last two years, Mazda has donated more than $7.9M to nonprofit organizations. While monetary giving is always important, Mazda believes its biggest contribution is its volunteering. Every test drive of a new Mazda taken throughout the same time period triggers a pledge by Mazda of one hour of charitable service to be paid back in 2016. Over the last two years, Mazda has helped local charities by donating over 120,000 volunteer hours through its corporate, dealer and partner employees.

The Confetti Foundation
The Confetti Foundation is a non-profit organization supplying birthday parties to children who have to spend their birthday in the hospital.  Although the party is not a cure, it is a welcomed distraction to an unpredicted circumstance. www.confettifoundation.org

A Little Help
A Little Help connects neighbors across ages to enhance lives and strengthen our communities. As a nonprofit organization operating in Colorado since 2007, A Little Help empowers older adults to thrive in their homes and communities with the help of neighbors of all ages who volunteer for direct services including transportation, yard work, snow shoveling, handiwork, technology support, care calls, friendly visits, primary caregiver respite, and home organization and cleaning. Beyond service provision, A Little Help forges intergenerational, reciprocal relationships among neighbors to celebrate our elders and share their gifts through social programs and community events. A Little Help is a member of the national Village to Village Network that connects the senior village movement across the country. To learn more, visit www.alittlehelp.org.

Autism Academy of South Carolina
The Autism Academy of South Carolina is a not-for-profit organization offering individualized Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Autism Academy was founded in 2010 by Dan and Lorri Unumb, whose first-born child Ryan has autism, after they toured the country studying best-practice autism centers. Rather than moving to another state to ensure quality care for Ryan, the Unumbs decided to help all autism families in their home state by opening a treatment center in South Carolina. The Autism Academy strives to help children with autism acquire the skills necessary to become fully capable members of their communities, ultimately able to prosper without the need for intensive intervention. The Autism Academy's team of highly qualified professionals is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families struggling with Autism through one-on-one, center-based intervention; free training and supervision for current and aspiring ABA professionals; parent training; school consultation; social skills groups; and summer camps. www.autismacademyofsc.org.

About Helping Hands Orange County
Helping Hands Orange County is a 501c3 charity founded in 2013 to provide immediate, tangible assistance to individuals and families within our community. In addition to providing immediate emergency support for people in need, we also have projects throughout the year to offer ongoing support in partnership with other local organizations. For more information, please visit www.helpinghandsoc.com or www.facebook.com/helpinghandsoc.

Restoration Automotive
Restoration Automotive, Inc. (RA) is a 501(c)(3) non-denominational ministry committed to serving the automotive needs of the community by providing affordable, quality, and honest auto repair service to anyone who needs it. Since opening January 1, 2008, RA averages over $9,000.00 a month in auto repair assistance and has provided (to date) over 1 million dollars in relief to deserving families across Central Ohio. RA collaborates with more than a dozen churches, six other industry affiliates and has nearly 200 active volunteers. Through additional efforts such as the annual "Cruisin' for Restoration" Auto Car and Bike Show, Direct Impact Car Donation Program, and the Drive Program, RA finds ways to spread the love of God, help families and restore lives. More information can be found online at http://www.restorationauto.org/

About Mazda North American Operations
Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers.  Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.  For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com.

About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. To learn more visit: www.nbcuniversal.com

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SOURCE Mazda North American Operations

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