MAZDA ANNOUNCES 2014 'MAZDA DRIVE FOR GOOD' CHARITABLE RECIPIENTS

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is again collaborating with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^®, American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc. for its 2014 charitable giving event set to run throughout the 2014 holiday season.  This year, Mazda is increasing the amount donated per new Mazda sold or leased during the Mazda Drive for Good™ event. Now, customers will be able to designate $150 to one of these four national charities.  Additionally, and still uniquely Mazda, for every vehicle test-drive during the Mazda Drive for Good event, Mazda will donate one hour of charitable service from its employees, dealers, and business partners across the nation, to begin in the 2015 calendar year.

"We are excited to have increased the donation amount for the 2014 Mazda Drive for Good charity event," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "Mazda donated more than $2.7 million last year and while we know the charity partners were appreciative, we always want to do more. However, no Mazda charity event would be complete without rolling up our sleeves and lending a helping hand by donating an hour of charitable service for every test drive."

The Mazda Drive for Good event will run from November 21, 2014 through January 2, 2015. In addition to the four national charity organizations, Mazda Dealer Marketing Groups around the nation also have the opportunity to select a fifth local charity that enables new Mazda owners to select a charity option closer to home. The complete list of local charities can be found below.

Supporting the Mazda Drive for Good campaign is a :30 television spot highlighting Danny Thomas of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a game changer. Additionally, there is a 2:00 cinema piece highlighting the overall charitable efforts of Mazda over the past few years. Both creative pieces will run from November 21, 2014 through January 2, 2015.  Consumers will also have access to a dedicated Mazda Drive for Good microsite (www.mazdausa.com/drive4good) allowing them to direct their donation and track Mazda's progress in both monetary donations and charitable hours pledged. The microsite is set to go live on November 21, 2014.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^®:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases. St. Jude has the world's best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers, and treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since we opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent in the next decade. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs we make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org or following St. Jude on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

American Heart Association:

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America's No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit www.heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.

Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc.:

Acting on a strong sense of responsibility to give something back to the communities in which it operates, Mazda established a philanthropic foundation. As the corporate foundation of Mazda North American Operations, it has awarded over $8 million to worthwhile causes across the United States since its initial grants in 1992.

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.

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SOURCE Mazda North American Operations